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(     26     ) 

different  in  their  nature,  when  commanded  by 
authority,  are  no  longer  indifferent  to  ns,  but  b 
necessary  in  their  use  j  and  in  disobeying  the: 
have  the  rule  over  us,  we  disobey  God,  who  ha 
manded  us  to  be  subject  for  conscience  sake;  and 
fore  all  this  we  are  to  do,  from  a  sense  of  tha 
which  they  have  to  command,  intrusted  to  tr: 
God  our  Saviour,  and  of  that  great  penalty  to 
we  are  liable  by  our  contempt ;  for  he  that  dc 
them,  despiseth  Him  that  sent  them* 


FINIS. 


ERRATUM. 

In  page  9,   (note)  7th  line  from  the  bottom, 
*  distinguished"  read  distinguishing* 


THt 

CO  VEN  ANT -INTEREST, 

O  F    T  H  E 

CHILDREN    of     BELIEVER^ 

ILLUSTRATED    *nd    PROVED: 

And  considered   m 
A    SOLID    FOUNDATION 

FOR 

INFANT     BAPTISM 
APPENDIX. 

Concerning  the  Discipline  of  Ba«tized  Child^eh 


By    A  M  Z  I     LEWIS,    i     M. 

Pastor  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  in  Fl  rida. 

That  our  Sons  may  be  as  Plants  grown  up  in  their  Koutb  ; 
that  our  Daughters  may  be  as  corner  Stones  policed  after 
the  Similitude  of  a  Palace, 

Vhls  Day  Is  Salvation  come  to 

al/o  is  the  Son  of  Abraham.  ]\ 

The  unfeigned  Faith  that  is  in  thee,  which  dwelt  fir  ft  in  thy     ^S. 
Grand-mother  Lois,    and  thy    Mother    Eunicet  and  I   am 
per/iiadjd  that  in  thee  alfo,  Paul.  ^? 


be  as  corner  Stones  polijhed  after       ^ 
\  David\   i^3 

to  this  Houfe,  for  fo  much  as  hi  ^y^ 
m.  Tesus    Christ.       '* '""V 


CHATHAM.: 
Pointed  by   SHEPARD    KOL  LOC  K,  i7%y 


Urt-vrw 


PREFACE. 

rHE  queflion  concerning  the  right  of  infants 
to  baptifm  is  very  important,  as  it  affecls  our 
praclice,  fince  we  are  indifpenjably  bound  to 
keep  pure  and  entire  all  the  ordinances  and  infiitu- 
lions  of  Chrift.  For,  if  infants  have  no  right  to 
baptifm  according  to  the  word  of  God,  it  is  fuper- 
ftition,  and  will-worfhip  to  baptize  them  ;  but  if 
they  have,  it  is  injurious  and  difpleafing  to  God% 
to  exclude  them  from  a)  vifible  fianding  in^  his 
kingdom. 

Some  boldly  and  ftrenuoufiy  deny,  that  there  is 
any  foundation  in  the  word  of  God  for  the  bap* 
tifm  of  infants  \  and  the  conviclion  of  fuch  is  not 
greatly  expelled :  But  there  are  others  who  doubt, 
and  being  puzzled  and  perplexed  in  their  minds 
nhout  the  matter,  feem  honefily  andftncerely  defirous 
to  know  and  praclife  the  truth.  Such,  we  may 
pre  fume,  will  impartially  and  diligently  conjider* 
whatever  may  be  offered  to  elucidate  the  Jubjeft. 

The  moft  plaufible  argument  againft  the  baptifm 
of  infants,  has  been  founded  on  this  principle,  viz. 
That  a&ual  faith  is  a  neceflary  qualification  for 
that  ordinance.  This  argument  is  the  dernier 
refort,  of  the  antipcedobaptifts,  and  the  whole 
weight  of  their  caufe  refts  and  depends  upon  it. 
This  has  had  more  influence  than  every  thing  elfe 
together,  to  perplex  and  confound  fincere  and  con* 
fcuntious  chriftians7  concerning  the  fubjecl  of  in* 

fant 


br  P    R    E    F    A    C    E. 

fant  baptifm.  For,  it  muft  be  acknowledged,  thai 
according  to  the  word  of  God,  believers  only  are  to 
i?e  baptized :  And,  though  the  children  of  the  faith- 
ful  are  to  be  reputed  believers  ;  yet,  as  matters- 
have  been  circumflanced,  and  as  thefubjecl  of  bap- 
tifm has  been  treated,  it  is  not  ftrange  that  people 
in  general  Ihould  not  readily  fee  things  in  this  light. 

The  covenant -inter eft  of  the  children  of  believers 
has  been,  with  great  propriety,  generally  infilled 
m,  as  a  principal  foundation  for  infant  baptifm. 
But  many  writers  on  that  fubjefi,  have  been  very 
deficient  in  illuftrating  and  defining  the  nature  of 
that  covenant -inter  eft  :  And  hence  their  ingenious 
and  elaborate  performances,  have  been  lefs  con- 
•viclive,  and  more  liable  to  cavils  and  exceptions 
from  iheir  opponents. 

My  defign  in  the  following  feclions  is.  not  only 
to  prove  the  covenant -inter  eft  of  the  children  of  be- 
lievers -,  but  to  illuftrate  the  nature  arid  extent  cf 
that  covenant-inter  eft,  and  fhew  that  fuch  children 
are  to  be  considered  and  treated  as  vifible  believer:, 
and  therefore  to  be  baptized.  Whether  this  di- 
fign  be  in  any  tolerable  degree  anfwered  and  ex- 
ecuted, muft  be  now  fubmitted  to  the  judgment  of 
the  candid  and  judicious  reader. 

If  it  be  proved,  that  the  children  of  believers 
are  fo  comprehended  in  the  covenant  of  grace*  as 
to  conftitute  them  vifible  believers,  this  will,  in 
the  opinion  of  many,  afford  a  full  and  fatisfaclory 
anfwer  te  the  grand  and  fundamental  argument 
upon  which  the  oppodtion  to  infant  baptifm  is  wholly 
built :  And  the  foundation  being  removed,  the 
whole  fabrick  muft  tumble  to  the  ground-,  and  fo 

the 


PREFACE,  y 

the  fuljecl  will  be  cleared  from  that  difficulty, 
which  has  been  thought  by  many  infuperable,  and 
which  has  certainly  been  very  -perplexing  to  the 
winds  of  fome  honeft  chriftians. 

The  arguments  in  the  following  pages  are  very 
fcriptural ;  and  their  whole  weight  and  force  de- 
pends upon  paffages,  which  appear  to  me  very  plain 
and  exprefs.  They  might  have  been  more  largely 
itluftrated,  and  many  others  might  have  been  ad- 
ded. But  1  think  I  hadfufficient  reafons  to  Jludy 
brevity  ;  and  on  this  account  I  have  omitted  the 
arguments  for  infant  baptifm,  which  have  been 
largely  urged  and  enforced  by  others  •,  although  I 
am  very  fenfible  that  thofe  arguments  would  greatly 
corroborate  what  is  here  advanced  on  that  fubj eel. 
But  there  is  lefs  necejfity  of  repeating  thofe  common 
topics,  fince  they  will  readily  occur  to  thofe  who 
have  thefiighteft  acquaintance  with  this  controverfy. 

For  the  fake  of  brevity  alfy,  I  have  omitted  to 
anfwer  many  of  the  cavils  and  objections  which 
have  been  commonly  raifed  againft  the  arguments  for 
infant  bapdjm  ;  efpecially,  as,  I  humbly  conceive, 
they  are  in  great  me af lire  preclude dy  and  their  feem- 
ing  force  and  plaufibility  deftrcyed,  by  ccnfidering 
the  fubj  eel  in  the  manner  which  is  adopted  in  the 
following  effay. 

If  what  is  here  effered  to  the  public,  afford 
any  light  to  candid  and  impartial  enquirers,  on  the 
fubjett  of  infant  bapiifm  ;  or  tend  to  enable  end 
excite  chrifiian  parents  mere  underftandingly  and 
faithfully  to  offer  their  child: en  to  Ccd  in  that  or- 
dinance, and  train  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admo- 
niticnof  the  Lord  :  This  will  anfher  ike  end^  and 
compenfc.u  for  the  pains  and  expenceof  the  author, 


The  COVENANT-INTEREST  of 

the  Children   of  Believers    il- 
luftrated  and  proved. 

SECTION    I. 

The  fuljeft  introduced^  ftated,  and  explained: 

GO  D  has  always  been  pleafed  to  treat 
with  mankind  in  a  covenant  way.  Thus 
he  did  with  Adam>  at  the  beginning ; 
and  thus  he  has  done  in  various  inftances  with 
mankind  in  their  fallen  ftate  \  as  with  Noab9 
Abraham^  and  others.  When  God  condefcends 
to  enter  into  covenant  with  tinners,  fuch  fede- 
ral tranfactions  may  properly  be  called  covenants 
cf  grace :  For  the  divine  honour  and  perfecti- 
ons require,  that  finners  mould  receive  benefits; 
only  in  a  gracious  way.  The  covenants,  of 
which  we  have  an  account  in  fcripture,  gene- 
rally, (if  not  always)  comprehended  the  k^d 
or  poftcrity  of  thofe  immediately  concerned  : 
And  the  bleflings  promifed  to  parents  were  alfo 
to  be  conferred  on  their  offspring.  This  is  not 
only  evident  from  particular  inftances  of  federal 
tranfactions  recorded  in  God's  word  •,  but  from 
the  promifes  indifcriminately  made  to  the  righ- 
teous 


t     8     ) 

teous  refpecting  their  feed  -,  and  the  public  and 
ftanding  rule  of  God's  conduct,  which  is,  to 
/hew  mercy  unto  tboufands  of  tbofe  that  love  bim9 
and  keep  his  commandments. 

It  was  certainly  an  expreffion  of  abundant 
grace  in  God,  to  extend  his  covenant-breflings 
to  the  feed  of  the  righteous.  And,  as  all  the 
federal  tranfactions  of  which  we  fpeak,  were 
doubtlefs  defigned  to  be,  at  lead,  figures  of  the 
covenant  of  grace,  which  is  eltabliibed  in  Chrift 
with  every  believer ;  fo  we  fhould  naturally  ex- 
pect, that  the  latter  would  be  as  extenfive  as 
the  former  :  And  that,  therefore,  the  children 
of  believers  fhould  be  comprehended  in  it  ;  ef- 
pecially,  as  the  brightell  and  moft  abundant 
difplay  of  divine  grace  is  defignedly  made  in 
the  promifes  of  the  gofpel,  which  in  Chrift  are 
yea,  and  in  him  amen. 

By  the  covenant  of  grace  I  understand,  that 
gracious  difpenfa'ion  towards  fallen  man,  which 
God  hath  revealed  in  the  gofpel  •,  in  which  he  pro- 
mifes the  pardon  of  fin,  the  holy  fpirit,  temporal 
hlefftngSy  and  eternal  life,  to  all  tbofe,  who,  being 
chofen  and  effeclually  called,  do  truly  repent,  believe 
on  Jefus  C^rift,  and  embrace  the  promifes. 

In  covenants  among  men  there  are  two,  or 
more  parties,  and  conditions  for  each  party  to 
perform.  So,  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  God 
is  one  party,  who  graciouQy  condefccnds  to  en- 
ter into  covenant  with  his  people  through  Jefus 
Chrifl:  ;  And  true  penitents  and  believers,  who 
comply  with  the  covenant  propoled  by  God,  are 
of  the  other  party.     But,  whether  repentance 

and 


(     9     ) 

and  faith  may  be  properly  called  conditions  or 
not,  I  fhall  not  confider  at  prefent.  It  may 
fuffice  to  obferve,  that  thefc  exercifes  are  duties 
incumbent  on  all,  to  whom  the  covenant  is  pro- 
pofed,  or  to  whom  the  gofpel  comes ;  that  they 
are  wrought  in  the  hearts  of  men  only  by  the 
power  and  fpirit  of  God  ;  and  that  it  is  to  true 
penitents  and  believers  only,  that  the  bleftings 
of  the  covenant  are  directly  promifed. 

It  may  indeed  be  faid,  that  the  blefiings  o£ 
the  covenant  are  promifed  to  the  ieed  of  be-1 
lievers,  but  not  directly  ;  the  promifes  are  made 
to  believing  parents,  and  through  them  to  their, 
offspring,  who  may  therefore  be  laid  to  be  com- 
prehended, or  included  with  their  parents  in  the 
covenant  of  grace. 

When  I  aflert,  that  the  children  of  believers 
are  comprehended  with  their  parents  in  the  cove- 
nant cf  grace  •,  I  mean,  that  the  promifes  of  the 
covenant  of  grace,  which  are  made  direclly  t3 
their  parents,  contain  and  exprefs  bleffings  to 
be  conferred  on  the  children  ;  even  the  fame 
bleffings  in  which  the  parents  are  interefted  by 
the  fame  covenant.  For,  as  God  promifes  t<* 
be  a  God  to  the  parents  •,  fo  he  promifes  to  the 
parents  to  be  a  God  to  their  children*  I  da 
not  mean  to  aflert,  that  all  the  children  of  be*, 
Jievers  do  actually  repent  and  believe;  or  that 
they  will  all  finally  be  faved  :  But  I  aflert,  that: 
thefe  bleffings  are  held  forth  in  the  promifes  o£ 
the  covenant,  and  are  fure  to  all  thofe  children* 
whofe  parents  take  hold  on  the  covenant,  and 
embrace  the  promifes  for  them,  as  they  may, 
and  ought  to  do, 

b        section;- 


SECTION    II. 

Tloe  covenant  with  Abraham  fJjewn  to  be  the  cove- 
nant cf  grace, 

HAVING  dated  and  explained  my  meaning 
in  the  preceding  lection,  I  proceed  directly 
to  prove,  that  the  children  of  believers  are  com- 
prehended with  their  parents  in  the  covenant  of 
grace.  And  here  I  oblerve,  that  the  covenant 
with  Abraham ',  or  the  covenant  of '  circumcifion,  as 
it  is  called  by  Stephen  (Acts  vii.  8.)  was  effen- 
tiailv  the  covenant  of  grace  •,  and  that  it  ex^ 
prefsiy  comprehended  his  children  or  feed. 

As  this  has  been  often  and  largely  infifted  on 
£nd  illuftrated  by  others,  I  fhall  only  briefly 
mention  fome  confiderations,  which  fhew  that 
the  covenant  made  with  Abraham,  was  the  co- 
venant of  grace  •,  and  then  confider,  how  the 
children  of  Abraham  ^  and  his  feed,  were  com- 
prehended in  it. 

That  the  covenant  with  Abraham  is  the  cove- 
nant of  grace,    is  evident, 

ift.  From  the  exprefs  words  of  the  covenant 
and  the  promifes  it  contains.  The  words  are 
(Gen.  xvii.  y.)  1  will  eft ablijh  my  covenant  between 
ine  and  thee,  and  thy  feed  after  ihee  in  their  gene- 
rations, for  an  everlafting  covenant  \  to  be  a  God 
unto  thee  and  to  tly  feed  after  thee.  This  is  the 
exprefs  language  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  as 
it  is  reprefented  in  various  paMages  of  fcripture; 
particularly  by  the  prophet  Jeremiah  (chap.  xxxi. 
33.)  and  after  him  by  theapoftle  (Heb.  viii.  10.) 
by  whom  the  new  covenant,  or  covenant  of 
grace,  is   thus  dcicribed  :  %bh  is  the  covenant 

that 


(      M      ) 

t-hat  I  will  make  'with  the  houfe  of  Ifrael,  aft-er 
ihofe  days,  faith  the  Lord  ;  I  will  put  my  laws 
into  thdr  mind,  and  write  them  in  their  hearts  : 
And  I  will  be  to  them  a  God,  and  they  fh all  be  t» 
me  a  people.  And  as  the  promife  to  Abraham  is 
cxpreiTed  in  the  very  language  of  the  covenant 
of  grace  •,  lb  it  comprehends  all  the  blelTings 
of  the  covenant  of  grace,  temporal,  fpiritual, 
and  eternal  -,  which  certainly  cannot  be  predi- 
cated of  any  other  covenant. 

That  this  promife  to  Abraham  contained  tern?-' 
poral  bleilings,  will  probably  be  allowed  by  all^ 
that  deny  it  to  be  the  covenant  of  grace.  But 
if  it  Should  .not,  k  may  'be  proved  by  the  inter- 
pretation of  Jacob,  in  the  vow  which  lie  mads 
in  his  way  to  Padan-aram,  after  God  had  re- 
newed covenant  with  him.  (Gen.  xxviii.)  If  God 
will  be  with  me,  and  will  keep  in  this  way  which  I 
go,  and  will  give  me  bread  to  eat,  and  raiment  to 
put  on,  Jo  that  I  come  again  to  my  father's  houfe 
in  peace,  then  Jhall  the  Lord  be  my  God,  And 
that  it  contained  the  fpiritual  blefiings  of  jufti- 
ncation  and  fancufkation  of  the  fpirit,  is  evi- 
dent from  what  the  apofile  fays,  (Gal.  iii.  8,  9, 
14.)  Know  ye  thirefore,  that  they  which  are  of  the 
faith,  the  fame  are  tie  children  of  Abraham. 
And,  the  fcripture  forejeeing  that  God  wcudjufiy 
Jhe  heathen  through  fa'nb,  preached  before  the 
gcfpel  unto  Abraham,  faying,  in  thee  /hall  a  I  na- 
tions he  bleffed.  And  again,  that  the  iUffing  of 
Abraham  mght  come  upon  -the  Gentiles,  thr  ugh 
Jefus  Chrift,  that  we  might  receive  the  premie  of 
.the  jpirit  through  faith.  And  thai  eternal  biciT* 
ings  are  comprehended  in  the  promife,  is  cleary 
fiswa  by  oi?r  ^avigur,  who  proves,  againft  th^e 

Saddu.m 


It      12       ) 

Sadducees^  the  blefTed  immortality  of  the  Patri- 
archs from  God  calling  himfelf,  the  Go d  of 
Jbraham,  the  God  of  Jfaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob* 
(Matt.  xxii.  30,  32.)  And  the  apoitlc  vindi- 
cates the  propriety  of  God  being  called  the  God 
of  the  fathers,  from  his  providing  for  them  an 
eternal  heavenly  habitation  (Heb.  xi.  16.) 
Wherefore  God  is  not  afhamed  to  be  called  their 
Cod  ;  for  be  hath  prepared  for  them  a  city,  which 
"was  indeed  a  blefling  well  worthy  of  a  God  to 
promife  and  beftow.  And  I  may  add,  that 
eternal  life,  and  the  glory  of  the  heavenly  Hate, 
isalfo  promifed  in  thefe  very  terms  (Rev.  xxi.  7.) 
He  that  over  comet  h  fhall  inherit  all  things ,  and  I 
will  be  his  Goi.  As  therefore  the  Abrahamic 
covenant  promifes  all  the  bleflings  that  are  con- 
tained in  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  that  in 
thole  very  terms  and  words,  which  are  ufed 
abundantly  in  other  paffages  of  the  facred  wri- 
tings to  exprefs  the  lame  bleffings  \  who  can 
doubt,  but  that  it  is  really  and  fubftantially  the 
covenant  of  grace  ? 

2d.  It  is  evident,  that  the  covenant  with 
'Atraham  is  the  covenant  of  grace  ;  becaufe  cir- 
cumcifion,  which  was  called  the  token  of  the  co- 
venant %  is,  by  the  apoftle,  expreisly  laid  to  be 
the  feal  of  the  righleoufnefs  of  the  faiths  which 
Abraham  had,  being  uncircumcifed.  (Rom.  iv.  11,) 
Now,  this  faith  of  Abraham,  of  which  circum- 
cifion  was  the  feal,  was  the  fame,  with  that,  by 
which  all  believers  are  juftified  •,  as  the  apoftle 
particularly  (hews  in  the  context.  And  the  righ* 
teouihefs  of  faith  is  the  very  effence  of  the 
covenant  of  grace,  as  appears  from  its  being 
oppofed  to  the  lawa    or  covenant  of  works* 

(v.  13.) 


(     13     ) 

(v.  13.)  For  t'e  prom  ft  was  not  to  Abraham,  or 
to  his  feed  through  the  kw9  but  thrcugh  the  righ* 
lecufnefs  of  faith.  And  a^ain  (chap.  x.  5,  6.) 
For  Mofes  defcribeth  the  righte:ufnefs  which  is  of 
the  law,  that  the  man  that  doth  tkcfe  things  frail 
live  by  them.  But  the  rightecufnefs,  which  is  of 
faith,  Jpeak-th  en  this  wife,  fay  net,  &c.  If 
therefore  circumcihon  was  a  fcal  of  the  righte- 
oufhefs  of  faith,  it  was  a  feal  of  the  covenant  of 
grace,  and  the  covenant  made  with  Abraham, 
of  which  circumcifion  was  the  token,  was  the 
covenant  of  grace  •,  in  which  all  his  ked  are  in- 
terfiled, they  being  heirs  according  to  the  pre* 
wife. 

3d.  It  is  farther  evident,  that  the  Abrahamic 
covenant  is  the  covenant  of  grace  •,  becaufe  it 
was  confirmed  of  God  in  Chrift,  and  not  difan- 
nuiable  by  the  law.  (Gal.  iii.  17.)  Now,  nocc- 
venant,  which  God  hath  made  with  fallen  man, 
but  the  covenant  of  grace  was  fo  confirmed  in 
Chrift,  that  it  could  not  be  dilannuied  by  the 
law  :  And  if  it  were  not  difannuled  by  the  law, 
we  may  be  fure  it  is  not  by  the  gofpel.  For, 
Chrift  is  to  confirm  the  prcmifes  made  to  the  fa- 
thers :  And  all  the  promifes  of  God,  that  are 
confirmed  in  him,  are  yea  end  amen. 

S  E  C  T  I  O  N     III. 

Hew  the    children  of  Abraham  and  his  feed  were 
comprehended  in  the  covenant. 

IP  R  O  C  E  E  D,  as  was  propofed,  to  confider 
how  the  children    of  Abraham  and  his  feed 
were  comprehended  in  the  covenant. 

The 


(     *4     ) 

The  exprefs  words,  in  which  God  promifes 
to  be  a  God  to  Abraham,  and  to  his  iced  •,  and 
the  token,  or  leal,  circumcifion  applied  by  di- 
vine direction  to  every  male  child  in  his  family, 
do  plainly  fhew,  that  his  children  were  compre- 
hended in  the  covenant ;  and  that  the  greateft 
blefiings  were  promifed  to  them,  through  him  ; 
even  the  lame  blefiings  with  which  he  himlelf 
was  blefled.  No  greater  blefiings  can  be  granted 
to  man,  than  are  contained  in  the  promife,  /  will 
le  a  Gcd  to  thee.  It  has  been  mown  to  compre- 
hend all  the  blefiings  of  the  covenant  of  grace, 
temporal,  fpiritual,  and  eternal.  In  this  pro- 
mife God  gives  himlelf,  as  an  all-fuflicicnt  God 
and  portion  •,  and  furely  he  can  give  nothing 
greater.  Happy,  indeed,  is  that  people  whrfe 
Gcd  is  the  Lr/d  (Pfil.  cxliv.  15.)  And  it  is  the 
fame  blefiing  that  is  promifed  to  Abraham  for 
his  feed.  And  a  God  to  thy  feed :  It  cannot  be 
fuppoled  that  God  intends  one  thing,  when  he 
promifes  to  be  a  God  to  Abraham  -,  and  another, 
when  he  promifes  to  be  a  God  to  his  feed.  A 
method  of  interpreting  this  promife,  that  would 
make  fuch  a  fuppofition  necefiary,  would  be  ex- 
travagant and  abfurd  to  the  higher!:  degree: 
And  if  generally  followed,  would  render  it  for- 
ever impofiible  to  determine  any  thing  from  the 
words  of  fcripture. 

If,  therefore,  God's  promife  to  be  a  God  to 
Abralcm,  contain  the  blefiings  of  the  covenant 
of  grace  ;  ev:  n  temporal,  fpiritual,  and  eternal 
blefiings  for  him  ;  furely  the  promife  to  be  a  God 
to  his  ittd,  muft  include  and  exprefs  the  fame 
blefiings  to  them.  For,  to  ufe  the  apoftles  lan- 
guage," God  would  have  been  fijhamed  to  be  calkd 

their 


(     «5    3 

their  God,  if  he  had  not  provided  for  thtm  a  city* 
Temporal  blemngs  only,  would  have  been  com- 
parative'y  imall  things  and  unworthy  to  have 
been  the  bafis  of  that  peculiar  covenant  relation 
between  God  and  them,  which  is  expreffed  by 
his  being  their  God. 

What  has  been  faid  is  fufikient  to  {hew,  that 
the  covenant  with  Abraham  implies  a  promife, 
that  his  children  fhould  be  regenerated,  and 
have  the  fame  faith  which  he  himfelf  had.  Fcr 
otherwife  it  would  have  been  inconfiftent  with 
the  divine  character  and  perfections  for  God  to 
be  their  God,  as  he  was  'he  God  of  Abraham. 
But  they  having  the  fame  faith,  woold  cohfe- 
quently  be  blefied  with  him.  For,  they  wbub 
be  of  the  faith  are  bkffed  with  faithful  Abraham* 
And  thus  God  would  virtually  lay  to  all  the 
faithful  children,  as  he  faid  to  their  father,  / 
will  be  a  God  to  you  and  to  your  feed.  A  ccordingly 
it  appears,  that  when  God  renewed  covenant 
with  Ifaac  and  Jacob,  he  promifed  them  the  fame 
blemngs  for  them  and  their  offspring,  as  he  had. 
before  granted  to  their  father  Abraham,  (Gen. 
xxvi.  3,  4.   and  xxviii.  13,  14.   and  xxxv.  12.) 

The  grand  objection  againit  this  explanation 
of  the  Abrahamic  covenant  is,  that  Chnft  is  the 
feed  intended  in  the  promife  :  For  thus  the 
apottle  writes.  (Gal.  iii.  16.)  Now  to  Abraham 
and  his  feed  were  the  premifes  made.  He  faith 
not,  and  to  feeds  as  of  many  :  But  as  of  one,  and 
to  thy  feed,  which  is  Chnft.  And  hence  it  is  in- 
ferred, that  fuch  blemngs  as  have  been  menti- 
oned, were  not  promifed  to  Abraham,  refpecting 
his  natural  offspring  or  pofterity. 

I  aniwer \ 


(     i6    ) 

I  anfwer  ;  If  by  feed  in  the  text  we  are  to  tin* 
derftand  Chrift  perfonally  confidered,  fo  as  to 
exclude  every  other  idea,  when  we  fpeak  of  the 
feed  of  Abraham  being  interefted  in  the  pro- 
miies  ;  it  muft~be  acknowledged,  that  the  ob- 
jection will  lie  with  weight  againft  what  has  been 
advanced.  But  if  the  apoille  be  fpeaking,  as 
no  doubt  he  is,  of  Chrift  as  the  head  of  his 
body  the  church,  of  whom  the  whole  family  is 
named \  and  who,  thus  myftically  confidered, 
includes  all  his  people  in  all  ages  of  the  world  : 
Then  the  text  is  perfectly  confident  with  blefu 
ings  being  promifed  to  Abraham  refpecYing  his 
natural  feed,  in  the  manner  that  has  been  be- 
fore afiferted. 

The  queliion  maybe  reduced  to  a  fhort  com- 
pafs  thus  :  Were  the  natural  feed  of  Abraham 
in  any  fenfe  included  in  the  covenant  ?  The  af- 
firmative is  piain  -,  becaufe  the  token  cf  the 
covenant  was  applied  to  them  :  And  becaufe 
their  being  brought  to  the  pofleffion  of  Canaan, 
is  always  reprefented  as  a  confequence  of  God's 
promise  to  Abraham  refpedting  them.  Befides, 
the  apoftle  exprefsiy  teaches,  that  to  them  per- 
tained the  covenants  and  prcmifes.  (Rom.  ix.  4.) 

If,  therefore,  the  natural  feed  of  Abraham 
were  included  in  the  covenant,  they  were  heirs 
to  the  fame  bleffings  with  Abraham.  For,  the 
promife  is  exprefTed  in  the  fame  terms  to  him 
and  to  them.  And  thofe  who  believe,  and 
thereby  become  the  children  of  Abraham,  are 
-alfo  intitled  to  the  fame  privileges  ;  for  they  are 
bleffed  with  faithful  Abraham,  if  it  was  a  blefif- 
ing  to  Abraham  that  God  would  be  a  God  to 
his   natural  feed   or   children,    then  this  is  a 

ble  fling 


(     '7     ) 

bleffing  belonging  to  all  believers  ;  for  to  fuch 
the  bleiTmgs  of  Abraham  defcend. 

Thefe  things  being  confidered,  it  appears 
that  the  text  referred  to  in  the  objection  is-  not 
at  all  contrary  to  the  doctrine  advanced  above. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  affords  the  cleareft  evi- 
dence that  the  covenant  with  Abraham  is  the 
covenant  of  grace,  and  that  the  bleilings  of  it 
belong  to  all  his  faithful  children.  As  the 
apoftle  fays  in  the  context,  If  ye  beCbriJFs,  then 
are  ye  Abraham's  feed,  and  heirs  according  to  the 
promife.  Now  the  promife  is,  /  will  eftablijb 
my  covenant  between  me  and  thee,  to  be  a  God  to 
thee  and  to  thy  feed  after  thee.  Thus  God  faid 
to  Abraham  -,  and  therefore  thus  he  fays  to  every 
believer,  who  is  a  child  of  Abraham,  and  there- 
fore bleffed  with  him. 

The  nature  and  extent  of  the  promife  to 
Abraham  and  his  feed,  reflecting  their  children, 
may  be  farther  afcertained,  by  taking  a  view  of 
the  promifes  of  the  fame  import,  which  we  find 
made  to  the  Ifraeiites  his  pofterity  ♦,  which  will 
be  the  fubject  of  the  next  feet  ion. 

SECTION      IV. 

A  view  of  the  promifes  made  to   the  Ifraeiites 
reflecting  their  feed. 

THE  promifes  made  to  the  Ifraeiites  refpecV 
ing  their  feed  will  be  to  our*purpofe, 
whether  the  covenant  with  Abraham  be  allowed 
to  be  the  covenant  of  grace  or  not.  For,  if 
the  covenant  with  Abraham  be  the  covenant  of 
grace,  then  the  confiderarion  of  thefe  promifes 
C  will 


(    iS    ) 

will  mew  the  nature  and  extent  of  that  covenant! 
which  is  the  thing  propofed.  But  if  "the  cove^ 
nant  with  Abraham  be  not  the  covenant  of  grace, 
it  will  Hill  appear,  that  thefe  promifes  belong  to 
the  covenant  of  grace  :  And  io  a  confideration 
of  them  will  tend  to  illuftrate  and  confirm  the 
grand  point,  viz.  That  the  children  of  believers 
are  comprehended  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  in 
the  manner  which  has  been  reprefented. 

It  is  evident  from  many  pafiages  in  the  book 
of  Deuteronomy,  that  when  God  promiles  bleflf- 
ings  to  the  obedient  Kraelites,  their  children  are 
alfo  included  in  thofe  promifes.  Thus  Mcfes 
iays,  (Deut.  vii.  12,  13.)  7/  Jhall  come  pafs,  if 
ye  hearken  to  thefe  judgments  arid  keep  and  do  them, 
that  the  Lord  thy  God  JJoall  keep  unto  thee,  the  co- 
venant and  the  mercy,  which  he  /ware  unto  thy 
fathers.  And  he  will  love  thee*  and  blefs  thee, 
and  multiply  thee  :  He  will  alfo  blefs  the  fruit  of 
thy  womb.  This  paflage  expcefsly  confirms  to 
all  the  obedient  children  of  Ifrael,  the  covenant 
which  God  had  fworn  to  their  fathers  ;  that  is, 
to  Abraham >  Ifaac,  and  Jacob  :  And  plainly 
fnews,  that  in  the  performance  of  the  promife 
to  the  former,  their  children,  the  fruit  of  their 
womb,  fhouid  be  blelTed.  Or,  which  is  the  fame 
thing,  that  as  God  was  the  God  of  Abraham, 
and  his  feed  :  So  he  would  be  the  God  of  his 
obedient  pofierity  and  their  kcd. 

In  like  manner,  when  Mofes  particularly 
reckons  up  and  pronounces  bleflings  upon  the 
obedient,  and  curfes  upon  the  difobedient, 
(Deut.  xxviii.)  he  begins  his  catalogue  of  blefl- 
ings thus  :  Bltfjed  /halt  thou  be  in  the  city,  and 
hleffed  fhalt  thou  be  in  the  field,     BUffed  Jhall  be 

the 


(     19     ) 

ile  fruit  of  thy  body,  that  is,  thy  children.  And 
again,  (Deut.  iv.  40  )  Thou  /halt  keep  his  ftatutes 
and  his  commandments,  which  I  command  thee  this 
day,  that  it  may  go  well  with  thee,  and  with  thy 
children  after  thee.  (See  alio  Deut.  xi.  21.  and 
xii.  25.) 

That  God  in  thefe  paflages  promifes  blefllngs 
to  the  feed  of  thole  who  love  him  and  keep  his 
commandments,  is  undeniably  evident.  And  if 
any  fnould  fay,  that  thefe  are  only  temporal 
bleiTings,  andnotfuch  as  have  been  reprefented 
as  contained  in  the  covenant  with  Abraham  \  the 
next  palTa^e  which  I  (hall  mention,  will,  I  think, 
in  this  refpect  be  unexceptionable.  It  is  found 
among  the  words  of  Mofes,  which  he  fpake  to 
the  children  of  Ifrael  in  the  plains  of  Mcab9 
where  he  lays,  (Deut.  xxx.  6.)  The  Lord  thy 
God  will  circumcife  thine  hearty  and  the  heart  of 
thy  feed,  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  foul,  that  thou  may  eft  life: 
On  which  we  may  obferve, 
'  lft.  That  Mofes  is  here  explaining  to  the  chife 
dren  of  Ifrael,  the  covenant  with  God,  which 
he  had  led  them  to  enter  into  in  the  preceding 
chapter  •,  which  covenant  was  a  folemn  renew- 
ing with  that  generation,  of  the  covenant  God 
had  made  with  Abraham,  Ifaac,  and  Jacob, 
(chap.  xxix.  1^.)  and  which  contained  bleffings 
to  the  obedient,  and  curfes  to  the  difobedient  5 
and  exprelsly  comprehended  all  the  people, 
both  parents  and  children,  from  the  greateft  tq 
the  lead.  (chap,  xxix,  10,   u,  15.) 

2d.  That  the  blefilng  promifed  is  circumci- 
lion  of  heart,  by  which  the  fubjecls  of  it  would 
jps  difpofed  to  love  the  Lord  their  God,  with  al[ 


(      2<?      ) 

their  heart  and  all  their  foul :  Which  was  cer^ 
tainly  a  fpiritnal  bklTing  and  a  blefTing  of  the 
covenant  of  grace,  to  be  conferred  upon  thofe 
who  mould  return  unto  the  Lord*  and  obey  his 
voice* 

3d.  That  the  blefling  is  extended  to  the  feed 
of  thefe  penitent  returning  Jfraelites,  in  the  fame 
terms  as  to  themfelves  :  As  it  was  in  the  cove- 
nant with  Abraham,  and  in  the  other  promifes, 
which  we  have  confidered.  The  heart  of  the 
feed,  as  well  as  of  the  parents,  was  to  be  cir- 
cumcifed  to  love  the  Lord  their  God. 

4th.  That  when  Mofes,  in  the  molt  folemn 
manner,  repeats  the  fum  of  this  covenant,  and 
lets  it  before  the  people,  (v.  19.)  he  makes  it 
to  con fiil:  in  life  and  death,  bleffing  and  curling  ; 
and  exhorts  them  to  choole  life  for  the  benefit 
of  their  feed,  as  « ell  as  for  themfelves  :  There- 
fore cboofe  life^  that  both  thou  and  thy  feed  may 
live. 

5th.  That,  as  the  promife  of  circumcifion 
of  heart  is,  without  all  controverfy,  a  promife  of 
the  covenant  of  grace  j  lb  Mojes  feems  in  this 
whole  chapter  more  clearly  to  explain  and  preach 
the  gofpel  to  the  people  of  Jfrael,  than  he  had 
done  before.  The  apoflle  quotes  feveral  verfes 
out  of  this  chapter,  as  the  very  language  of  the 
golpel,  or  right  eoufnefs  which  is  of  faith,  (v.  12, 
13,  14.  compared  with  Rom.  x.  6,  7,  8.)  And 
when  Mofes  faith,  The  word  is  nigh  thee,  in  thy 
mouth,  and  in  thy  heart,  the  apoitle  exprefsly 
adds,  by  way  of  explanation,  that  is  the  word 
cf  faith  which  we  preach.  And  it  is  the  obfer- 
vation  of  an  eminent  writer,  "  That  though 
J  Mofes  had  moil:  of  all  preached  the  law,  and 

11  Sive-^ 


(      21       ) 

"  given  it  at  Mount  Sinai  5  and  had  hid  the 
*c  gofpel  under  the  types  and  fhadows  of  legal 
*c  ceremonies  :  Yet  now,  when  he  was  to  die, 
"  he  doth,  through  the  Holy  GhoiVs  coming 
w  upon  him,  preach  the  gofpel,  and  deliver 
46  the  covenant  thereof  clearly  and  plainly  to 
"  the  Jews  :  For  you  may  read,  (in  Deut.  xxix, 
"  /.)  that  he  calls  it,  The  words  of  the  covenant 
<c  which  the  Lord  commanded  Mofes  to  make  with 
"  the  children  of  Ilrael,  in  the  land  of  Moab, 
"  befides  the  covenant  which  he  made  with  them  in 
"  Horeb  :  It  is  another  covenant  ;  and  there- 
fore the  apoitle  pertinently  quotes  the  words 
of  this  laft  great  fermon  of  Mcfes,  to  diftin- 
guifh  the  covenant  of  works  and  the  cove- 
nant of  grace.*" 
If  therefore  this  covenant  made  with  Ifrael  in 
the  land  of  Moab,  be  efientially  the  covenant 
which  was  made  and  eftablifhed  with  Abraham* 
Ifaac,  and  Jacob  -,  and  if  it  be  alfo  the  covenant 
of  grace,  then  the  covenant  with  Abraham  and 
the  covenant  of  grace  are  eflentially  the  fame. 
And  as  the  new  covenant  bleffing  of  circumci- 
fion  of  heart  is  here  exprefsly  promifed  to  the 
Jfraelites  and  their  feed  j  this  mews  the  meaning 
and  extent  of  the  promile  to  Abraham  to  be  a 
God  to  him  and  his  feed  ;  and  makes  it  evi* 
dent  that  fpiritual  ble flings  were  to  be  conferred 
on  Abraham  and  his  feed  according  to  that  pro* 
mife.  But  if  this  covenant  be  not  the  covenant 
made  with  Abraham,  yet  it  muft  be  the  cove- 
nant of  grace  •,  for  to  promife  circumcifion  of 
heart,  is  effential  and  peculiar  to  that  covenant : 
And  therefore,    as  it  exprefsly  promifes  this   to 

the 
f  pr,  Goodwin  as  quoted  by  Di<  Guife. 


(       22       ) 

the  parents  and  their  leed,  it  proves,  that  the 
children  of  believers  are  comprehended  with  their 
parents  in  the  covenant  of  grace, 

SECTION    V. 

Of  God's  promifes  to  the  feed  of  the  righteous  in 
general. 

THE  fubjecl:  may  be  farther  illudrated  and 
confirmed,  by  a  variety  of  promifes  and 
declarations,  which  expre(s  God's  gracious  pur- 
pole,  to  the  feed  of  the  righteous  in  general  : 
And  the  paflfages,  which  I  mall  cite  to  this  pur- 
pole,  are  taken  out  of  the  pfalms  and  proverbs  ; 
in  which  books  God's  dated  method  of  conduct 
towards  his  people  is  exhibited,  at  lead  in  many 
indances,  without  regard  to  any  diftinguilhing 
external  relation  and  privileges,  which  the  peo- 
ple of  Ifrael  enjoyed,  The  promifes  and  de- 
clarations in  thefe  parts  of  the  facred  fcriptures, 
have  been,  therefore,  rightly  thought  to  be  ap- 
plicable univerfally  to  God's  people  in  every 
age  and  difpenfation  •,  at  lead  when  not  exprefsly 
appropriated  to  fome  particular  perfon  or  fub- 
jecl:. The  pfalmid  fays,  (Pfal.  xxv.  12,  13.) 
What  man  is  he  that  fear eth  the  Lord  !  him  jhall 
he  teach  in  the  way  that  he  jhall  chcofe  :  His  foul 
Jhall  dwell  at  eafe^  and  his  feed  Jhall  inherit  the 
earth.  Here  is  evidently  a  blefling  pronounced 
upon  the  feed  of  him  that  feareth  the  Lord  y 
and  it  is  a  gofpel  blefling — a  new  covenant  blelT- 
ing — a  peculiar  and  didinguifhing  blefling  of 
God's  people,  as  may  appear  by  comparing  it 
with  other  paflages.     It  is  the  blefling  of  thq 

meek  ; 


(     23     ) 

rneek  -,  (FTal.  xxxvii.  n.  compared  with  Matt,  **, 
5.)  the  bicfilng  of  thofe  that  wait  on  the  Lord-, 
(Pfal.  xxxvii.  9.)  the  blefling  of  the  bleffed  of 
the  Lord-,  (v.  '22.)  the  bicfiing  of  the  righteous-, 
(v.  29.)  the  blefling  of  thole  who  wait  on  the 
Lord  and  keep  his  way,  (v.  34.)  It  either  intends 
a  covenant  right  to  earthly  poflefllons,  or  it  is  a 
promife  of  the  eternal  inheritance  \  (Heb.  ix. 
15.)  either  way  it  is  a  blefling  of  the  covenant 
of  grace  :  Otherwife  it  could  not  be  made  the 
peculiar  privilege  of  the  righteous.  Befides, 
as  it  is  a  di (lingo idling  blefling  of  the  righte- 
ous, it  is  atleaft  an  implicit  promife,  that  the 
feed  of  thofe  that  fear  the  Lord  fliall  be  righ- 
teous ♦,  otherwife  how  could  they  be  heirs  to  the 
peculiar  bleflings  of  fuch  ?  Again,  the  righte* 
ous  are  called  bleffed  in  contradiftinction  to  the 
wicked  who  are  cur  fed  •,  (v.  22.)  but  the  feed  of 
the  righteous  is  bleffed  ;  (v.  26.)  therefore  the 
feed  of  the  righteous  muft  be  leckoned  among 
the  righteous.  And  thus  they  are  heirs  to  the 
fame  bleflings  and  privileges  which  their  righ- 
teous parents  inherit. 

The  fame  thing  is  exprefsly  alTerted  in  ano- 
ther place.  (Pfal.  cxii.  1,  2.)  Bleffed  is  the  man 
that  j  ear  eth  the  Lord;  that  delighteth  greatly  in 
hi,  commandments  :  His  feed  /ball  be  mighty  upon 
the  earth  \  the  generation  of  the  upright  Jh all  be 
bleffed.  (See  alfo  Pfal.  cii."  28.)  To  the  fame 
purpofe,  among  the  bleflings  of  the  man  that 
feareth  the  Lord,  (Pfal.  exxviii.)  we  read,  thy 
ehildren  fhall  be  like  olive-plants  round  about  thy 
table.  The  Pfalmift  compares  himfelf  to  a  green 
olive-tree  in  the  houfe  of  God-,  (Pfal  lii.  8.) 
by  which  he  probably  means  tc  exprefs   his  fac 

and 


(   H     ) 

fcnd  flourifliing  (late  in  religious  and  fpiritual 
matters  ;  or,  however,  fome  peculiar  privilege 
of  the  faithful,  or  of  thofe  that  truft  in  the 
Lord  :  For  it  is  fet  in  oppofition  to  the  ftate  of 
him,  who  made  not  God  his  ftrength  ;  but  truft ed 
in  the  abundance  of  his  riches,  and  ftrengthencd 
himjelf  in  his  wickednefs  ;  which  is  mentioned  in 
the  preceding  verle,  and  the  Pialmift  adds,  I 
truft  in  the  mercy  of  God  for  ever  and  ever.  And 
it  is  alfo  obfervable,  that  the  prophet  Jeremiah 
ufes  the  fame  fimilitude  to  repreient  the  prof- 
perous  and  flourifhing  ftate  of  Ifrael,  when  God 
planted  them  at  firft,  a  noble  vine,  wholly  a  right 
feed ;  for  he  fays,  the  Lord  called  thy  name,  a 
green  olive-tree  fair,  and  of  goodly  fruit.  Hence 
we  may  conclude,  that  when  children  are  com- 
pared to  olive-plants,  it  fignities  their  pious  cha- 
racter, and  hopeful  and  fiourifhing  ftate  in  reli- 
gious matters,  manifefting  them  to  be  a  feed 
which  the  Lord  hath  bleffcd.  And  thus  it  teaches 
us  to  expecl;  that  new  covenant  bieftings  will  be 
conferred  on  the  children  of  thofe  that  fear  the 
Lord. 

I  fhall  only  add  two  paflages  more  taken  from 
the  proverbs  of  Solomon,  which  expreisly  con- 
tain bleffings  to  the  feed  of  the  righteous.  The 
firft  is  this,  (Prov.  xi.  21.)  Though  hand  join  in 
hand,  the  wicked fhall  not  go  unpunifhed ;  but  the 
feed  of  the  righteous  fhall  be  delivered.  In  this 
text,  by  the  feed  of  the  righteous  being  oppo- 
i'ed  to  the  wicked,  it  feems  plainly  implied,  that 
the  former  are  not  to  be  efteemed  wicked,  but 
righteous.  And  the  ftrong  declaration  refpecl:- 
ing  the  punimment  of  the  wicked,  leaves  no 
room  for  them  to  expecl  deliverance  *  but  the 

feed 


(     25     ) 

feed  of  the  righteous,  being  of  an  oppoflte 
character,  fhall  be  delivered.  But  there  can  be 
no  reafon  to  expect  that  the  feed  of  the  righteous 
fhall  be  righteous,  and  fo  be  intitled  to  a  pro- 
mife  of  deliverance  from  the  punifhment  of  the 
wicked,  unlefs  it  be  founded  in  the  covenant  of 
grace  -,  which  mud  therefore  comprehend  be- 
lievers and  their  feed,  as  has  been  afferted. 

The  other  text  (Prov.  xx.  7.)  exprefsly  fays, 
Ajufi  man  walkelh  in  his  integrity :  His  children 
are  blejfed  after  him:  Which  is  fo  plain,  thac 
after  what  has  been  faid,  nothing  more  is  need- 
ful to  illuitrate  it,  or  fhew  its  pertinency  to  the 
point  in  hand. 

Notwithftanding  what  has  been  faid,  perhaps 
feme  may  think,  that  although  there  are  evi- 
dently promifes  and  declarations  in  the  Old  Tef- 
tament,  importing  bleffings  to  the  feed  of  the 
righteous  ;  yet,  as  that  was  a  dark  difpenfation, 
it  is  by  no  means  clear,  from  what  has  been 
urged  from  thofe  promifes  and  declarations, 
that  children  are  comprehended  with  their  pa- 
rents in  the  covenant  of  grace  :  For  fuch  pro- 
mifes and  declarations  may  intend  the  beftow- 
ment  of  fome  temporal  good  things  according 
to  fome  method  of  conduct,  not  well  under- 
flood  by  us,  which  God  obferved  towards  thofe 
who  were  externally  obedient,  under  that  fha- 
dowy  and  typical  adminiftration  :  But  as  the 
mind  of  God  in  the  covenant  of  grace  is  more 
clearly  revealed  in  the  gofpel,  it  is  reafonablc 
to  expect,  that  if  there  be  any  fuch  promifes 
in  that  covenant,  refpecting  the  feed  of  the  righ- 
teous, as  have  been  repreiented,  we  lhall  have 
fome  clear  and  direct  evidence  that  fuch  promt- 
D  fes 


(       26      ) 

'£>$  continue  in  force,  and  are  eftablifhed  in  gof- 
pei  times. 

If  there  mould  be  any  honed  minds,  who 
ihould  view  matters  in  this  light,  I  hope  they 
will  impartially  confider  the  following  obferva- 
tions,  in  which  I  fhall  attempt  to  (hew,  that  the 
bleTings  of  divine  grace  are  extended  to  the 
feed  of  believers  under  the  gofpel,  as  well  as 
under  the  former  difpenfation. 

SECTION    VI. 

<fhc  ex  ten/ion  of  the  covenant  cf  grace  to  the  feed  of 
believers  Jhewn  from  the  prophecies  of  the  Old. 
Teftament. 

IT  is  clear,  that  God  extends  the  bleflings  of 
his  grace  to  the  feed  of  believers  under  the 
gofpel  from  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Tefxa- 
xiienr,  which  evidently  relate  to  gofpel  times, 
and  from  theexprefs  declarations  of  the  new. 

I  fhall  begin  with  the  prophecies  of  the  Old 
Teftament ;  and  the  firft  paiTage  I  fhall  mention 
is  in  the  book  of  the  evangelical  prophet  Ifaiah, 
(chap.  ixi.  8,  9.)  where  the  Lord  fays  concern- 
ing his  people,  /  will  make  an  everlafting  cove- 
nant with  them.  And  their  feed  (hall  be  known 
among  the  gentiles^  and  their  offspring  among  the 
people ;  all  that  fee  them  fhall  acknowledge  them 
that  they  are  a  feed,  which  the  Lord  hath  bleffed. 
There  can  be  no  doubt,  but  that  this  prophecy 
relates  to  gofpel  times  •,  fince  our  Lord,  the  belt 
interpreter  of  fcripture,  applies  the  beginning 
of  this  chapter  to  himfeif  \  (Luk.  iv,  21.)  and 
the  reft  evidently  follows  in   connection.     Thq 

bleflings, 


(     27     ) 

bleflings,  therefore,  that  are  promifed,  are  pro- 
mifed  to  goipel  believers,  with  whom  God, 
through  Chrift,  makes  an  everlafting  covenant. 
And  the  bleflings  of  the  covenant  are  extended 
to  their  feed  or  offspring,  and  evidently  fulfilled 
in  them  ;  fo  that  they  are  known  and  diftin- 
guifhed  by  all  that  fee  them,  and  acknowledged 
to  be  a  feed  which  the  Lord  hath  bleffed. 

We  may  next  confider,  as  evidently  to  the 
fame  purpofe,  the  promife  God  makes  to  his 
elect,  (ifaiah  Ixv.  23.)  They  Jhall  not  labour  in 
vain,  nor  bring  forth  for  trouble  ;  for  tley 
are  the  feed  of  the  bleffed  of  the  Lord,  and 
their  offspring  with  them.  The  whole  chapter  is 
certainly  a  prophecy  of  gofpel  times,  and  from 
the  17th  verfe  to  the  end,  contains  a  defcription 
of  the  new  heavens  and  new  earth,  by  which  is 
reprefented  fome  glorious  flate  cf  the  church 
in  the  latter  days  :  And  great  and  wonderful 
things  are  predicted,  and  promifed  to  Jerufalem\ 
that  is  to  the  church  and  people  of  God  in  thofe 
times.  And  among  other  things  vve  have  the 
words  now  quoted,  which  exprefs  peculiar  bleff- 
ings  to  God's  c  ho  fen  ones  :  For  they  are  the  feed 
of  the  bleffed  of  the  Lord.  This  may  point  at 
their  original,  as  they  are  the  (eed  of  the  church, 
which  is  bleffed  of  the  Lord  ;  or,  rather  their 
quality  and  ftate,  as  they  are  a  bleffed  feed^-£ 
feed  which  the  Lord  hath  bleffed.  We  read  of  a 
feed  of  evil-doers,  that  is,  a  wicked,  evil-doing 
feed  :  So  here  we  have  a  feed  of  the  bleffed  of  the 
Lord,  that  is  a  bleffed  feed.  And  their  offspring 
with  them.  Their  offspring  are  partakers  of  the 
fame  bleflings  with  the  parents  :  They  are  the 
feed  of  the  bleffed  of  the  Lord   too.     Many  a 

foolijb 


(     28     ) 

fcclifk  fon  has  been  a  grief  to  his  father ',  and  btU 
ternefs  to  her  that  bare  him  ;  but  in  thefe  glorious 
days  it  fhall  not  be  fo  with  the  people  of  GocL 
They  fhall  not  labour  in  vain,  nor  bring  forth  for 
trouble.  Their  children  fhall  be  bleflcd  with 
the  blefTings  of  the  covenant  of  grace  •,  and 
fhall  fhare  with  their  parents  in  the  privileges  of 
God's  church  and  people,  in  that  mod  pure  and 
flouriPning  ftate  of  the  kingdom  of  God  on 
earth. 

The  paflages  I  fhall  next  confider,  are  in  the 
prophecy  of  Jeremiah  -,  where,  in  three  chapters 
fuccefilvely,  we  have  efientially  the  fame  pre- 
diction, which  expreffes  the  bleffednefs  of  God's 
people  in  gofpel  times,  and  has  reference  to  the 
new  covenant  as  the  ground  of  their  blefied- 
nefs  :  And  in  each  paflage  there  is  either  a  plain 
intimation,  or  an  explicit  declaration,  that  the 
children  (hall  be  partakers  with  their  parents  of 
new  covenant  bleflings.  In  the  firft  of  thefe 
pafiages,  (chap,  xxx.)  after  the  prophet  in  God's 
name  had  promifed  the  return  of  the  Jewsirom 
captivity,  he  takes  occafion,  as  ufual,  to  fpeak 
of  the  blefTings  of  the  gofpel-day  :  For  Chrift 
is  promifed  under  the  name  of  David  (v.  9.) 
as  in  other  prophecies  -,  and  is  afterwards  defcri- 
t>ed,  (v.  21.)  as  a  glorious  one, J  and  a  governor 
proceeding  from  the  midft  of  them,  and  approaching 
to  God.  And  here  the  covenant  is  expreffed  in 
the  ufual  ftile  ;  ye  fhall  be  my  -people,  and  I  will 
be  your  God.  (v.  24.)  And  particular  notice  is 
taken  of  their  children,  (v.  20.)  their  children 
fhall  be  as  aforetime,  and  their  congregation  fhall 
be  eftablifhcd  before  me.     That  is,  their  children 

fhall 
J  Heb.  adir.     In  our  tranfiation,  nolles. 


(     29     ) 

fhall  be  included  in  the  covenant,  as  they  for- 
merly were,  and  grow  up  a  ktd  for  God,  to 
replenifn  the  church,  and  eftablifh  the  congre- 
gation of  his  people. 

If  we  may  determine  any  thing  by   the  lan- 
guage, we  may    conclude  that  this  is  the  fame 
covenant  with  that  fo  particularly  fpoken  of  in 
the  next  chapter,  (chap,  xxxi,  31,32,  33,34.) 
and  quoted  by  the  apoftle  to  the  Hebrews,  (Heb. 
viii.)and  considered  by  him  as  the  gofpel  cove- 
nant of  which   Chrift   is   the   mediator.     The 
words  are,  Behold  the  days  come,  faith  the  Lad \ 
that  I  will  make  a  new  covenant  with  the  houfe  of 
Jfrael,  and  with  the  houfe  of  Judah  :  Not  according 
to  the  covenant  that  I  made  with  their  fathers  m 
the  day  that  I  took  them  by  the  hand,  to  bring  them 
out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  (which  my  covenant  thy 
brake,  although  Iwasanhujband  unto  them,  faith  the 
Lord:)  But  this  fhall  be  the  covenant  that  I  will 
make  with  the  houfe  of  Ifrael.     After  thofe  days, 
faith  the  Lord,  I  will  put  my  law  in   their  inward 
parts,  and  write  it  in  their  hearts,   and  I  will  be 
their  God,  and  they  fhall  be  my   people.     And   they 
fhall  teach  no  more  every  man  his  neighbour,  and  e- 
very  man  his  br  other  >  faying,  Know  the  Lord:  Ftr 
they  fhall  all  know  me  from  the  leaf  of  them  unto  the 
greatefi  of  them,  faith  the  Lord  :  For  1  will  forgive 
their  iniquity,  and  I  will  remember    their  fin  no 
more.     This  is  certainly  the  covenant  of  grace  ; 
and  if  it  comprehends  children    with  thtir  pa- 
rents, the  point  is  proved.     But,  that  this  new 
covenant  contains  bleflln^s  for  children  with  their 
parents  is  evident, 

1  ft.  Becaufe  it   is  made  with  the  houfe  of  If- 
rael, and  the  houfe  cf  Judah,  which  are    repre- 
sented 


(     30     ) 

fented  as  the  fame  body  of  people,  which  God 
took  by  the  hand  to  bring  them  out  of  the  land 
of  Egypt  5  and  with  whom  he  made  the  cove- 
nant which  they  brake.  Now,  by  the  boufe*  we 
mud:  underftand  the  family  or  generation  of  the 
people,  as  the  word  is  commonly  ufed  in  fcrip- 
ture,  including  all  forts  and  ages,  adults  and 
infants  :  For  with  the  hcufe  of  Ifrael,  and  the 
bcufe  of  Judah,  taken  in  this  fenfe,  God  made 
the  covenant  referred  to  ;  and  the  new  covenant 
is  fpoken  of  as  being  of  the  fame  extent.  There- 
fore parents  and  children,  adults  and  infants, 
are  comprehended  in  it. 

2d.  It  is  promifed  in  the  covenant,  that  all 
fjjall  know  the  Lord,  from  the  leafi  unto  the  great- 
eft.  This  is  a  flrong  expreffion,  denoting  the 
tmiverfality  of  the  knowledge  of  God,  that  is, 
true  religion,  and  might  reafonably  be  taken, 
according  to  the  letter,  to  comprehend  ftrictly 
all  of  every  age,  parents  and  children  :  But  if 
this  mould  be  doubted,  becaufe  univerfal  terms 
are  not  always  to  be  taken  in  a  {trier,  fenfe  *  yet 
it  mud  intend  the  body  of  the  people  in  gene- 
ral, and  this  would  alio  include  the  children  ♦, 
efpecialiy  as  it  is  alfo  faid,  they  Jhall  teach  no 
more  every  man  his  neighbour,  and  every  man  his 
brother*  faying*  know  ye  the  Lord.  For  if  the 
children  were  to  be  taught,  this  could  not  be 
faid.  The  children  therefore  muft  be  compre- 
hended among  thofe,  who  mail  know  the  Lord 
from  the  leafl  of  them  unto  the  great  eft  of  them. 

Thefe  obfervations  are  greatly  confirmed  in 
the  next  chapter  (chap,  xxxii.  38,  39,  40.)  where 
we  find  the  fame  covenant  repeated  in  very 
fimilar  terms  :•  For  God  lays,  they  Jhall  be  my 

people^ 


31       ) 


people,  end  1  will  be  their  God.  And  1  will  give 
them  one  hea^t  and  one  way,  that  they  may  fear  me 
for  ever,  for  the  good  of  them  and  their  children 
after  them.  And  I  will  make  an  ever  lofting  cove- 
nant with  them,  that  I  will  not  turn  awry  from 
them,  to  do  them  good  •,  but  I  will  put  my  fear  in 
their  hearts,  that  thy  Jhall  not  depart  from  me. 
It  cannot  be  doubted,  but  this  is  the  covenant 
of  grace,  and  the  very  fame  in  fubftance  with 
that  in  the  preceding  chapter.  And  that  the 
bleffingsof  the  covenant  are  extended  unto  the 
children,  is  exprefsly  declared  •,  for  it  is,  for 
the  good  of  them,  and  of  their  children  after  them. 
Many  other  prophetic  paffages  afford  evidence 
that  God  extends  the  bletlings  of  his  grace  to 
the  children  of  his  people  under  the  golf  el  -, 
but  1  omit  them,  and  proceed  to  confider  what 
light  the  new  te (lament  will  afford  to  the  fu  eject. 

SECTION     VII. 

Jhe  exi  en/ton  of  the  covenant  of  grace  to  the  dil* 
dren  of  believers,  proved  direclly  from  the  new 
tefiament. 

TH  E  covenant  of  grace  is  mod  clearly  de- 
fcribed,  and  its  nature  and  extent  moft 
fully  defined  in  the  new  teftament  •,  and  what  is 
there  taught  is  not,  on  fome  accounts,  fo  liable 
to  cavils  and  exceptions  as  what  is  contained  in 
the  old.  I  fhall  therefore,  as  was  prcpofed, 
proceed  to  confider  the  declarations  of  the  gef- 
pel  on  the  fubjecl  before  us  •,  and  (hew  that  the 
children  of  believers  are  comprehended  with 
their  parents  in  the  gofpel-covenant,  or  cove- 
nant of  grace. 

Our  Saviour  explicitly  afierts,    that  little  chil- 
dren belong  tg  the  kingdom  of 'heaven ,  or  the  king- 

dom 


(       32       ) 

iom  of  God.  (Matr.  xix.  14.)  Suffer  little  chil- 
dren,  and  forbid  them  not  to  come  unto  me  :  For 
of  fuch  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  The  kingdom 
of  heaven,  or  kingdom  of  God,  is  a  phrafe  much 
uicd  in  the  new  teftament,  to  exprefs  the  goipel 
kingdom  or  church  of  Chrift,  which  is  his  body, 
including  the  whole  family  in  heaven  and  earth, 
(Ephf.  iii.  15.)  and  it  really  confifts  of  the  rege- 
nerate only  :  For,  except  a  man  be  born  again* 
he  cannot  fee  the  kingdom  of  God  -,  though  many 
others  may  be  vifibly  comprehended  in  it.  But 
the  relation  of  little  children  to  this  kingdom 
is  not  only  exprefsly  aflertcd,  but  confidered  by 
Chrift  as  a  reafon  why  they  mould  be  iuffered  to 
come  to  him  for  his  blefTing  -,  which  (hews  that 
they  are  not  only  capable  of  the  blefTing  of 
Chrift,  and  of  the  covenant  of  grace  -,  but  have 
an  actual  right  to  them,  as  belonging  to  the 
kingdom  of  God. 

It  feems  by  our  Lord's  anfwer  to  his  difciples, 
with  whom  he  was  much  difpleafed,  (Mark  x.  14.) 
becaufe  they  forbad  the  infants  to  be  brought 
to  him  ;  that  they  could  not  yet  fee  how  little 
children,  who  could  not  profefs  faith  in  Chrift, 
fhould  have  any  right  to  the  bleflings  of  his 
kingdom.  But  he  points  out  their  miftake,  and 
teaches  them  that  little  children  had  as  good  a 
right  and  (landing  in  the  kingdom  of  God  as 
others  ;  and  that  they  received  thefe  bleflings  in 
the  fame  way  with  others  :  For  verily,  fays  he, 
/  fay  unto  you,  whofoever  Jhall  not  receive  the 
kingdom  of  God,  as  a  little  child,  /hall  in  no  wife 
enter  therein. 

That  thole  little  children  were  in  covenant 
with  God,  is  evident,  not  only  from  the  exprefs 

declaration 


{     33     ) 

declaration  of  Chrift,  but  from  the  blefTing 
which  we  are  told  he  conferred  upon  them.  For 
thofe  who  are  blefTed  by  Chrift  are  certainly 
blejfed  indeed,  and  blefied  in  a  covenant  way.' 
But  we  are  not  told  in  this  paffage  ihat  all  chil- 
dren belong  to  the  kingdom  of  God  :  Nor  is  it 
cxprefsly  faid,  what  children  have  a  right  to  the 
great  and  important  bleflings  of  the  covenant 
of  grace.  But  it  is  exceeding  natural  to  fup- 
pofe,  and  therefore  highly  probable,  that  thofe 
who  brought  thefe  infants  to  Chrift,  were  their 
parents,  under  whofe  immediate  care  they  were 
placed  •,  and  who  would  naturally,  if  pious,  be 
particularly  concerned  for  their  i'piritual  good* 
and  fo  influenced  to  fcek  the  blefTing  of  God 
upon  them.  And,  that  thofe  who  brought  thefe 
young  children  to  Chrift  were  believers,  cannot 
reafonably  be  doubted  :  For  to  come  unto  Chrift 
for  his  bleiling  for  ourfelves  or  others,  neceffa- 
rily  fuppofes  faith  in  him.  It  follows,  therefore, 
as  before,  that  the  children  of  believers  are  in- 
cluded in  the  covenant  of  grace. 

When  the  gofpel  was  firft  promulged,  after 
the  afcenfion  of  Chrift,  on  the  day  of  penticoft, 
Peter,  divinely  infpired,  and  perhaps  mindful  of 
his  Lord's  admonition,  confiders  children  as  be- 
longing to  the  kingdom  of  God  •,  and  declares 
them  to  be  interefted  with  their  parents  in  the 
promife,  or  covenant  of  grace.  For,  periwa- 
ding  his  hearers  to  repent  and  be  baptized  for 
the  remifTion  of  fins,  he  fays,  (Acts  ii.  39.)  The 
promife  is  unto  you  and  to  your  children,  and  to  all 
that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our 
God  fo all  call.  Whether  this  was  the  promife 
made  to  Abraham,  which  in  the  language  of 
E  the 


(     34     ) 

the  new  teftament  is  emphatically  called  the  pro* 
wife  •,  or  the  promife  of  the  gift  of  the  holy 
ghoft  mentioned  immediately  before-,  or  indeed 
any  other  promife  which  you  can  name,  and 
which  might  be  pertinently  urged  by  the  apoftle, 
as  a  motive  for  the  hearers  to  repent  and  be 
baptized  :  It  mutt  certainly  be  a  gofpel  prcmife, 
or  a  promife  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  propofed 
to  thofe  who  mould  repent  and  believe.  And 
as  it  exprefsly  comprehended  the  children  of 
thofe  who  were  then  called  :  So  it  was  of  equal 
extent  to  thole  who  fhould  afterwards  be  called 
from  afar  off.  And  the  children  of  the  latter, 
as  well  as  the  former,  were  included  in  the  pro- 
mife, and  fo  heirs  to  the  bleffings  of  the  cove- 
nant of  grace.  Accordingly  when  Cornelius^ 
who  was  called  from  afar  off  was  directed  to 
fend  for  Peter  to  inftruct  him  in  the  gofpel  of 
Ghrift,  he  was  led  to  expecl  that  the  bleffings 
of  grace  fhould  be  extended  to  his  family,  and 
that  the  apoftle  fhould  tell  him  words,  'Whereby 
he  and  all  his  boufe fhould  be  faved.  ( Acts  xi.  14.) 
The  promife  of  the  gofpel  ref peeling  the  feed  of 
believers,  is  further  manifeft  from  the  declara* 
tion  made  by  Paul  and  Silas  to  the  gaoler,  en- 
quiring, What  mufi  I  do  to  be  faved  ?  (  Ach  xvi. 
30,31.)  And  they  f aid,  believe  on  the  Lord  J  ejus 
Chrift,  and  thou  floalt  be  faved,  and  thy  houje. 
This  is  a  moPi  exprefs  promife  of  falvation  to  a 
believer's  boufe,  that  is,  in  fcripture  ftile,  to  his 
children  :  And  the  force  of  this  text  cannot  be 
evaded,  but  by  a  violent  wrefting  of  the  words 
from  their  natural  import.  To  fay,  that  the 
gaoler's  houfe  or  family  mould  be  faved,  on 
their  believing,  is  adding  to  the  text  •,  and   in 

this 


(     35     ) 

this  fenfe  it  might  as  well  as  truly  and  perti- 
nently have  been  laid  to  the  gaoler,  believe  on 
the  Lord  J  ejus  Cbrift  and  thou  fialt  be  faved,  and 
thy  neighbour's  houfe,  and  all  the  houfe  s  in  Phi- 
lippi,  and  in  the  world.  Why  then  is  the  text 
limited  to  the  gaoler's  houfe  ?  Plainly,  becaufe 
it  intends  to  declare  fome  connection  between 
his  believing,  and  the  falvatioa  of  his  family^ 
It  is  granted  that  the  gaoler's  houfe  could  not 
be  faved  without  believing  for  themfelves,  for 
the  promife  of  falvation  implies  a  promife  of 
faving  faith,  which  is  the  gift  of  God,  beftowed 
in  a  covenant  way,  to  the  children  of  believers. 
But  the  text  mentions  no  faith  but  the  gaoler's, 
and  to  him  the  promife  of  falvation  to  his  houfe 
is  evidently  made.  Nor  is  there  the  leaft  inti- 
mation in  the  hiftory  of  any  faith,  but  that  of 
the  gaoler  himfelf,  who  (as  it  is  exprefied  in  the 
Greek)  having  believed  in  God  rejoiced  in  all  his 
houfe. 

That  the  children  of  believing  parents  are 
comprehended  in  the  covenant  of  grace  is  evi- 
dent, from  the  apoftles  words  to  the  Corinthians  : 
(i  Cor.  vii.  14.)  For  the  unbelieving  hujband  is 
fanclified  by  the  wife,  and  the  unbelieving  wife  is 
Janciified  by  the  hufband  j  elfe  were  your  children 
unclean,  but  now  are  (hey  holy.  In  this  text  the 
children,  or  whole  parents  one  is  a  believer, 
are  exprefsly  declared  to  be  holy  (or  faints) 
which  is  the  diftinguiming  character  of  the  faith- 
ful, who  are  fanctified  in  Chrift  Jefus,  and  heirs 
of  the  bleffings  of  the  covenant  of  grace.  In 
this  fenfe  the  word  holy  is  generally  ufed  by  the 
writers  of  the  new  teftament :  And  thus  it  is 
defined  in  the  beginning  of  this  epiitle,  which 

is 


(    36    ) 

is  directed  to  the  church  of  God  which  is  at  Ce- 
tiutb,  to  them  that  are  Janclified  in  Ckrifi  J  ejus  * 
called  to  be  faints*  Since,  therefore,  the  chil- 
dren of  believers  are  faid  to  be  holy,  nothing 
more  is  needful  to  prove  their  intereft  in  the 
covenant  ©f  grace. 

If  it  be  laid,  that,  fince  the  unbelieving  huf- 
band  and  wife  are  fancYitied  by  thofe  that  be- 
lieve, we  may  as  well  affert  the  right  of  thofe 
unbelievers  to  the  promifes  of  the  covenant,  as 
the  right  of  the  children  who  are  called  holy  : 
1  anfwer,  by  no  means  ;  for  what  is  faid  of  the 
children  isexpreffed  very  differently,  from  what 
is  faid  of  the  unbelieving  hufband  and  wife  \ 
and  is  doubtlefs  of  a  different  import.  For, 
-whatever  may  be  intended  by  the  phrafe  that 
reprefents  one  perfon  as  being  fanctified  in* 
another,  it  is  different  from  the  meaning  of  the 
limple  appellation  holy  ;  as  it  is  different  from 
being  Janclified  in  Chrifi  J  ejus.  The  creature  of 
Cod  uled  by  his  people  for  food,  is  JarMified  to 
them  by  the  word  oj  God  and  -prayer  ;  but  is  not 
called  holy.  And  the  lan&ification  of  the  unbe- 
lieving hufband  and  wife,  is  not  in  themfelves, 
but  in  their  believing  conforts,  and  it  terminates 
in  the  children  :  So  that  thefe,  and  not  the  un- 
believing parents,  are  declared  to  be  holy  there- 
by. So7  that  the  text  is  far  from  fuppofing  the 
fame  holinefs  in  the  unbelieving  parents,  as  in 
the  believer's  children.  And  therefore  the  latter 
may  be  confidered  as  interested  in  the  covenant, 
while  the  former  are  excluded. 

The  fuppohtion  that  by  the  terms  unclean  and 
ko7y,  as  they  are  ufed  in  the  text,  we  are  to  un? 

derftand 
VGrtfo 


(    37    ) 

derftand  legitimate  and  illegitimate,  is  fo  incon- 
Mem  with  reafon  and  with  the  fcriptura]  uie  of 
the  words,  that,  I  believe  it  will  not  greatly 
perplex  an  honett  enquirer. 

Thus  we  have  considered  the  nature  and  ex- 
tent of  the  covenant  with  Abraham,  and  fhewa 
how  it  comprehended  his  feed  :  We  have  taken 
a  view  of  God's  promiles  to  the  Ifraelites,  and 
the  righteous  in  general  refpectmg  their  off- 
fpring  :  We  have  proved  from  the  prophecies  of 
the  old  teftament,  and  the  declarations  of  the 
new,  that  the  bleffings  of  the  gofpel  are  extend- 
ed to  children  with  their  parents  :  And  from  all 
thefe  confiderations  we  are  obliged  to  conclude, 
that  God  hath  been  gracioujly  pleafed,  in  the  cove- 
nant which  is  efiabitihed  in  Chrifi  with  believer sy 
to  promife  them  the  blejjings  of  fpecial  and  faving 
grace  for  their  offspring.  So  that  believing  parents 
may  and  ought,  according  to  the  tenor  of  the  new 
covenant,  to  truft  in  God,  to  be  a  God  to  them  and 
fbeir  feed. 

SECTION    VIII. 

Objeclicns  anjwered. 

THE  conclufion  in  the  preceding  fection 
appears  natural  and  eafy  from  the  pre- 
roifes  •,  and  would,  without  doubt,  be  readily 
embraced,  did  not  Itubborn  fait  and  experience 
feem  to  invalidate  the  arguments  upon  which  it 
is  founded-  But  fince  we  know  that  God's  peo- 
ple of  old  have  had  wicked  children,  and  that 
rrany  of  the  leed  of  the  righteous  at  the  prefent 
£ay,  appear  not  only  to  be  deftiuue  of  the  fa- 
ying 


(    3*     ) 

ving  bleffings  of  the  covenant  of  grace;  but 
notorioufly  vicious  and  prophane,  it  is  natural 
to  afk,  What  becorr.es  of  theie  promifes  ?  How 
are  they  fulfilled  ?  How  is  he  faithful  that  hath 
promifed  ?  And  almoft  every  one  is  ready  to 
conclude,  furely  thole  paffages  which  have  been 
ccnfiucred  mud  be  uncierftood  in  fome  other 
fcnfe  than  that  which  has  been  given, 

This  objection  is  indeed  fpecious,  and  ought 
to  be  attended  to.  It  is  the  grand  and  principal 
one  again (t  the  doctrine  which  has  been  ad- 
vanced. If  what  has  been  laid,  be  again  ft  the 
truth  and  faithfulnefs  of  God,  let  it  fall  to  the 
ground.  Let  God  be  true,  and  every  man  a  liar. 
If  the  objections  difturb  the  mind  of  any  unpre- 
judiced enquirers,  it  is  to  be  hoped  they  will 
impartially  confider  the  following  things,  viz. 

i ft.  Perhaps  this  objection  will  lie  with  as 
much  weight  again  ft  the  fulfilment  of  fome  other 
promifes  in  God's  word,  a?,  of  thofe  which  have 
been  fhown  to  refpect  the  feed  of  the  righteous ; 
and  perhaps,  in  fuch  a  cafe,  the  prefent  objection 
would  have  recourfe  to  a  method  of  anfwer, 
that  would  equally  obviate  the  difficulty  before 
us.  And  I  would  propofe  for  inilance,  the 
promife  annexed  to  the  fifth  commandment, 
which  is  adopted  by  the  apoftle  (Eph.  vi.)  as  a 
gofpel  promife  •,  and  de fire  to  fee  how  it  is  evi- 
dently and  in  fact  fulfilled  to  all  thofe  that  honour 
their  father  and  mother.  If  the  explanation  of  this 
promife  in  the  Weftminfter  catechifm  be  admit- 
ted, which  lays,  M  It  is  an  exprefs  promife  of 
•*  long  life  and  profperity,  as  far  as  it  fhall 
66  ferve  for  God's  glory  and  their  own  good, 
^  to  all  fuch  as  keep  this  commandment."    We 

may 


(    39    ) 

may  with  equal  reafon  fay  the  fame,  con*; 
cerning  the  promifes  which  have  been  confi- 
de red ;  and  afTure  believers  that  God  will  actually 
fulfill  what  he  has  promifed  to  their  kcd9  fo  far 
as  it  /bail  ferve  for  bis  glory  and  their  good, 

2d.  It  ought  well  to  be  confidereo,  whether, 
if  the  fulfilment  of  God's  promifes  be  delayed 
for  the  prefent ;  and  appearances  feem  to  be 
againlt  it,  we  may  therefore  conclude  that  God 
has  not  promifed,  and  that  he  will  not  perform 
in  his  own  time.  God  will  anf  er  the  prayers 
of  his  elect,  thcuvb  be  bear  lonz  ivitb  them* 

£d.  Before  we  draw  pofnive  concluficns  from 
facts  againit  the  fulfilment  of  divine  promifes, 
it  well  becomes  us  to  confider,  whether  we  be 
proper  and  competent  judges  cf  thofe  facts, 
We  may  judge  thofe  to  be  believers,  who  are 
only  hypocritical  profeffors  :  And  if  the  chil- 
dren of  luch  be  evidently  wicked,  we  cannot 
juftly  conclude  from  thence,  that  God  has  made 
no  promifes  to  the  feed  of  believers.  And  per- 
haps many  children  of  believers  may  appear  to 
us  ro  be  wicked,  who  are  really  of  a  different 
character,  and  will  meet  with  the  approbation 
of  their  righteous  judge  at  laft.  As  God  has 
given  us  no  certain  knowledge  of  the  hearts 
of  others,  we  mult  in  many  inttances,  be  very 
incompetent  judges  of  fuch  facts,  as  the  objec- 
tion is  founded  upon. 

4th.  In  determining  this  matter  it  is  of  im- 
portance to  know,  whether  the  condition,  en 
the  performance  of  which  the  promife  is  fuf- 
pended,  has  really  been  performed  :  If  not,  there 
is  reafon  to  expect  that  the  promifed  ble  fling 
fhould  be  denied.     And  then  the  facts  fuppoftd 

in 


(     4*     ) 

in  the  objection  are  no  argument  agalnfl  God4s 
promifes  or  faithfulnefs;  but  againft  the  faith- 
fulnefs  of  the  believer  in  performing  thole  du- 
ties, in  the  performance  of  which  he  is  to  expect 
the  bleffing. 

Thefe  things  being  obferved,  I  proceed  more 
directly  to  anlwer  the  objection  •,  and  therefore 
obferve,  m 

5th.  That  the  promifes  of  the  covenant  of 
grace  are  all  made  to  be  trufted  in,  relied  on  or 
believed.  He  that  believeth  not,  has  no  right, 
according  to  the  tenor  of  the  covenant,  to  the 
promifed  bieffing.  A  man  may  believe  on  the 
Lord  Jefus  Chrift  in  his  mediatorial  chancier, 
and  io  be  entitled  to  the  promife  of  eternal  life 
and  falvation  :  And  yet  never  believe  every  par- 
ticular promife  of  tbe  covenant  of  grace  with 
application,  fo  as  to  plead  it  in  a  prayer  of  fairh. 
Believing  is  exprefled  in  praying,  afking,  and 
feeking.  ^To  thefe  exercifes  the  promifes  of  the 
gofpel  are  evidently  made  ;  and  by  thefe,  the 
promifed  bleffings  are  received,  and*  as  it  were, 
drawn  out  of  the  great  repofuory  of  bleffings 
Jefus  Chrift,  who  is  the  mediator  of  the  new  co- 
venant, and  in  whom  all  the  promifes  of  God  are 
yea  and  amen.  (2  Cor.  i.  20.)  Hence  Chrift 
Jays,  (Matt.  vii.  7  j  A[k  and  it  Jhall  be  givenyou  : 
Seek  and  ye  fh all  find :  Knock  and  it  fliallbe  opened 
unto  you  :  And  allures  his  difciples,  that  their 
father  which  is  in  heaven  will  give  good  things  to 
them  that  ajk  him.  And  it  is  upon  this  principle 
that  prayer  is  fo  much  inculcated  and  encouraged 
in  the  gofpel,  and  in  this  way  it  is  that  the  in- 
wrought  fervent  prayer  of  the  righteous  availetb 
much.  Accordingly  the  apoftle  James  tells  via- 
ble 


(     4*     ) 

blechriftians,  (James  iv.  2,  3.)  Te  have  not,  U~ 
caufe ye  a/knot.  Ye  ejk  and  receive  not  becaufe  ye 
ajk  amifs.  And  the  fame  apoftle  tells  us  what 
kind  of  afking  is  connected  with  receiving,  and 
what  not.  (James  i.  5,  6,  7.)  If  any  of  ycu  lack 
wifdom,  let  him  ajk  of  God,  that  giveth  to  all  men 
liberally,  and  upbraideih  not  5  and  it  Jkall  be  given 
him.  But  let  him  ajk  in  faith,  nothing  wavering  : 
For  he  that  waver eth  is  like  a  wave  of  the  feay 
driven  with  the  wind  and  teffed.  For  let  not  that 
man  think  that  he  Jhall  receive  any  thing  of  the 
Lord,  If  therefore  believes  in  Chrift  muft  afic 
in  fairh  in  order  to  receive  the  blefilngs  promifed 
in  the  covenant  of  grace-,  and  if  they  do  not 
afk  thus,  it  cannot  reaionably  be  expected  that 
the  promifed  bleffing  mould  be  actually  conferred 
upon  them. 

From  thefe  confiderations  it  appears,  that  it 
is  not  ftrange  that  the  children  of  vifible  chrifti- 
ans,  are  many  of  them  evidently  deftitute  of 
faving  grace,  and  even  vicious  •,  although  there 
be  fuch  promifes  to  the  leed  of  the  righteous,  as 
have  been  fuppofed.  Yea,  it  would  rather  be 
ftrange,  if  it  were  otherwife  :  For  the  promifes 
of  God,  which  are  the  ground  of  faitH  and  hope 
refpecling  the  leed  of  believers,  have  for  a  long 
time  been  much  out  of  the  view  of  chriftUns. 
It  has  not  even  been  believed  that  God  hath  made 
luch  promifes-,  nor  is  it  generally  believed  among 
chriftians  at  prefent.  Children  have  not  been 
confidered  as  included  in  the  covenant  of  grace  ; 
and  therefore  parents  have  not  trufted  in  God 
for  the  beftowmenc  of  fpirkual  blefilngs  on  their 
offspring  •,  nor  have  they  pleaded  the  promifes 
to  ihefeed  of  the  righteous  in  prayer,  or  ajked% 
F  thac 


(      42       ) 

that  it  might  be  given  them.  In  fhort,  they  haVe* 
not  taken  God  for  their  God  and  the  God  of  their 
feed,  according  to  the  tenor  of  the  covenant. 
And,  perhaps,  if  it  were  generally  believed, 
that  the  covenant  of  grace  comprehends  the 
children  with  their  parents,  as  hath  been  proved, 
God  might  not  grant  to  every  true  believer  thofe 
particular  exercifes  of  faith,  with  which  the  be- 
ftowment  of  the  blefTing  is  connected  :  For 
faith  is  the  gift  of  God>  and  his  people  are  as 
really  dependent  on  him  for  every  exercife  of  it, 
as  for  that  exercife  of  faith  in  the  mediator  by 
which  they  are  juftified.  But  we  have  reafon 
to  expect,  that  when  religion  fiourifhes  and  pre- 
vails molt  abundantly,  as  it  will  in  the  latter 
days,  the  promifes  refpecting  the  feed  of  the 
righteous  will  be  mod  evidently  and  confpicu- 
ouily  fulfilled  in  fa 61  :  For  they  will  be  the  feed 
of  the  bleffed  of  the  Lord  and  their  of  spring  with 
them, 

6th.  The  faith  that  is  necefiary  in  believing 
parents  to  enfure  the  bleiTmg  to  their  children, 
is  a  faith  productive  of  fruits  agreeable  to  its 
nature  •,  and  will  influence  the  fubjects  of  it  to 
diligence  and  faithfuineis  in  training  up  their 
children  for  God  ;  even  as  a  justifying  faith  ne~ 
ceiTarily  produces  fruits  of  righteoufnefs  as  its 
proper  evidence.  And,  as  the  promife  of  eternal 
life  is  made  to  thofe  that  bring  forth  the  fruits 
of  righteoufnefs,  and  continue  patient  in  well- 
doing  ;  fo  the  promife  of  bleiTjngs  to  the  feed  of 
the  righteous,  is  made  to  thofe  who,  being  in- 
fluenced by  a  proper  faith  in  the  covenant,  are 
faithful  in  educating  and  ditciplining  their  chil- 
dren in  the  fear  of  the  Lord.     Very  remarkable 

and 


(     43     ) 

and  to  this  purpofe  are  the  words  of  the  Lord 
concerning  Abraham.  (Gen.  xviii.  ig.)  I  know 
him  that  he  will  command  his  children  and  his 
bou/hold  after  him,  and  they  /hall  keep  the  way  of 
the  Lord,  to  do  juftice  and  judgment  -,  that  the 
Lord  may  bring  upon  Abraham,  that  which  he 
hath  fpoken  of  him.  Here  the  piety  and  obedi- 
ence of  Abraham's  children  and  houfhold,  and 
the  accomplifhment  of  what  God  had  promifed 
to  him,  are  reprefented  as  being  connected  with 
his  care  and  faithfulnefs  in  educating  them. 
And  it  icems  by  the  words,  that  without  this 
faithfulnefs,  he  would  have  no  reafon  to  expect 
that  the  Lord  would  bring  upon  Abraham  that 
which  he  had  fpcken.  And  the  wife  man  teaches 
us  how  much  the  character  of  the  child  depends 
upon  his  education,  when  he  fays,  (Prov.  xxii. 
6.)  Train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he  jhould  go  \  and 
when  he  is  old  he  will  not  depart  from  it.  The 
only  fecurity  we  can  have,  that  our  children 
when  old  will  not  depart  from  the  way  in  which 
they  have  been  trained  up,  mud  be  laid  in  the 
promifes  of  the  covenant  in  which  they  are  in- 
cluded, and  by  which  it  is  eftabliihed,  that  they 
fhall  never  fall.  And  the  fulfilment  of  thefe 
promifes  is  connected  with  their  being  trained 
up  by  their  parents  in  the  way  they  fhould  go. 
This  appears  to  be  further  confirmed  in  the  fol- 
lowing paffages,  (v.  15,  and  chap,  xxiii.  13,  14.) 
Fcolifhnefs  is  bound  in  the  heart  of  a  child  :  But 
the  rod  of  corretlion  fhall  drive  it  far  frc?n  him. 
Withhold  net  corretlion  from  thy  child  ;  thou  /halt 
heat  him  with  the  red,  and  /halt  deliver  his  foul 
from  hell.  By  the  rod,  We  may  underftancl  the 
whole  of  parental  government  and  difcipline  5 

and 


(     44     ) 

and  thus  the  wife  man  exprefTes  a  connexion, 
which  can  be  founded  only  in  the  covenant  of 
grace,  between  bringing  up  children  in  the  nur- 
ture and  admonition  of  the  Lord,  and  the  de- 
liverance of  their  fouls  from  foolilhnefs  of  heart 
and  the  punifhment  of  hell.  If  therefore  pa- 
rents are  neglectful  of  the  important  duty  of 
training  up  their  children  for  God,  how  can  they 
expect  that  the  promifes  refpecting  their  feed 
fhouid  be  fulfilled  to  them  ?  The  folemn  word 
fpoken  to  Eli,  becaufe  bis  fens  made  tbemfelvrs 
vile,  an4  be  refrained  them  not,  may  be  applied 
to  fuch.  (i  Sam.  ii«  32.)  I  /aid  indeed  that  thy 
houje  and  the  houfe  of  thy  father  Jhould  walk  be- 
fore me  for  ever  :  But  now  the  Lord  faith,  be  it 
far  from  me  :  For  them  that  honour  me  I  will  ho- 
nour, and  they  that  defpife  me  Jhall  be  lighlly 
ejieemed. 

It  what  has  been  laid,  be  thought  to  be  a 
fufficienr  and  fasisfactory  aniwer  to  the  objection, 
from  fact  and  expedience,  I  imagine  that  others, 
will  not  be  greatly  infifced  en.  Indeed  fome 
have  been  mentioned  by  the  oppefers  of  the 
doctrine  that  has  been  advanced ;  but,  as  they 
have  been  founded  chiefly  on  mifapprehenfions, 
they  will  probably  vanifh  when  the  fubject 
comes  to  be  rightly  underftood.  I  fhall  there- 
fore pafs  them  all,  except  one,  which  I  fuppofe 
may  be  fufficiendy  obviated  in  a  few  words. 

It  has  been  thought,  that  if  the  children  of 
believers  have  fuch  an  intereft  in  the  covenant  of 
grace,  as  has  been  fuppoied,  the  confederation 
of  this  will  naturally  tend  to  their  fecurity  in  fin  : 
For  if  God  has  promifed  the  blefTings  of  his 
grace  to  believing  parents  for  their    children  | 

why 


(     45    > 

why  mould  not  the  latter  be  eafy  and  uncon- 
cerned, depending  on  the  promife  of  God,  and 
neglect  the  ufe  of  means  for  their  falvation  ? 

Anf.  i.  There  is  certainly  no  weight  in  this 
objection,  unlefs  the  children  know  that  their 
parents  are  believers. 

2.  This  objection  has  the  fame  nature  and 
weight  as  fimilar  objections  made  againft  the 
doctrines  of  particular  election  to  eternal  life, 
and  the  final  perfeverance  of  the  faints.  If 
therefore  the  latter  have  no  weight,  neither  has 
the  former. 

3.  Did  the  promife  of  entering  into  Canaan 
to  Jofhua — the  promife  of  the  kingdom  to  David 
and  Solomon — the  promife  of  fifteen  years  to  be 
added  to  the  life  of  Hezekiab—ihe  promife  of 
a  temporal  falvation  to  Paul,  and  the  whole 
(hips  crew,  who  failed  with  him  -y  and  many 
other  promifes  of  the  like  nature,  that  might 
be  mentioned,  luperfede  the  neceffity  of  the  ufe 
of  means,  or  tend  to  careleiTnefs  and  iecurity, 
about  obtaining  the  things  promifed  ?  Or,  did 
the  promife  that  John  the  Eaptiit  fhouid  be 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghoft,  even  from  his  mother's 
womb,  tend  to  make  him  carnally  fecure  and 
negligent  in  matters  cf  religion  ?  If  not,  neither 
will  the  promifes  of  fpecial  grace  made  to  the  righ- 
teous refpedting  their  feed  have  fuch  a  tendency. 

SECTION     IX. 

IT  he  right  of  the  infants  of  believers  to    baptifm9 
proved  from  the  premifes. 

IT  is  evident  from  the  inftiuuion  of  baptifm, 
from  its  nature   and  defign,  and    from    the 
conduct  of  the   apoitlcs   and   primitive   mini- 

flers 


(     46     ) 

flers  of  Chrift  in  the  application  of  it,  that  alt 
thole  who  believe  are  to  be  baptized.    For  when 
our   Lord  gave   command  to  the  apoftles  to 
preach  and  baptize,  he  fo  joined  faith  and  bapr 
tiim  together,  as  to  leave  no  room  for  us  to  ie- 
parate  them.     He  fays,  he  that  believsth  and  is 
baptized  jhall  be  faved  -,  and,  go  teach  all  nations 
baptizing  them  \  which  (hews  that   all  that    be- 
lieved were  to  be  baptized,  and  that  the  apoftles 
were  commanded  to  adminifter  the  ordinance  to 
fuch,  whenever  their  faith  was  manifefted.    The 
ordinance  is  a  warning  with  water  in  the  name  of 
the  father,    fon,  and  holy  ghoft,  to    fignify    a 
fpiritual  cieanfingby  the   blood  of  Chriit  ;   and 
is  appointed  to  mark  that  relation  to  him   which 
is  formed  by  faith,  and  diftinguifh    thofe  that 
put  on   Chrift   by  believing  in  him.     For,  fays 
the  apoftle,  (Gal.  iii.  27.)  As  many  of  you  as  have 
been  baptized  into  Chrift  have  put  on  Chrift.  And 
the  ground  of  the  practice  of  the  apoftles    and 
evangeiifts   in   the  adminiftration    of    baptifm, 
appears  in  almoft  every  inftance  of  it,  which  is 
recorded  in  thefacred  hiftory.  Evidence  of  faith, 
was  what  they  required,  in  order  to  baptifm  y 
and  fo  all  that  appeared  to  believe  were  baptized. 
Thus  Philip  exprefsly   ftates    the  terms  to    the 
eunuch,  If  thou  belkveft  with  all  thine  heart  thou 
may  eft,  (Acts  viii.  %?.) 

When  we  afiert,  that  all  who  believe  are  to 
be  baptized,  and  confider  this  proportion  as  a 
rule  of  procedure  for  the  minifters  of  Chrift, 
pointing  out  and  diftingujfhing  the  proper  fub- 
jects  of  baptifm  ;  we  muft  always  underftand  by 
believers,  vifible  believers  •,  or  thofe  that  ap- 
pear to  believe.     For  God,  svhofe  prerogative 

it 


(     47     ) 

jt  is  to  fearch  the  heart,  has  not  given  power  to 
his  minifters  to  know  absolutely  what  is  in  man  ; 
nor  has  he  left  any  rules  in  his  word  by  v.hich 
they  may  certainly  and  infallibly  determine  who 
are  real  believers,  and  who  not.  But  when  we 
have  fcriptural  evidence  that  any  perfon  is  a  be- 
liever, he  muft  be  received,  baptized,  and  treated 
in  all  refpects  as  fuch  an  one,  until  he  appear  by 
his  fruits  to  be  of  a  different  character.  Simon  the 
forcerer  was  not  a  real,  but  vtfibie  believer  ,  yet 
he  was  baptized  by  Philip  according  to  the  rules 
of  Chrift  •,  and  might  be  laid  to  be  a  proper 
fubjecl  of  baptifm  ;  though  it  appeared  not 
long;  after,  that  he  was  in  the  gull  of  bitternefs 
end  bond  of  iniquity. 

The  children  of  believers  being  interefted  in 
the  bleiTings  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  as  has 
been  particularly  proved,  are  to  be  considered 
as  believers  in  Chrift.  For  if  the  promifes  of 
God  hold  forth  that  be  will  be  their  God  \  and 
that  the  bieiiings  of  the  righteous  fhall  be  con- 
.ferred  upon  them  :  If  they  are  declared  to  be- 
long to  the  kingdom  of  heaven^  and  are  called 
faints  or  holyy  as  we  have  (hewn  *,  furely  thefe  are 
the  privileges  and  characters  of  believers,  and 
belong  to  none  befides.  What  more,  or  fo 
much  is  faid  concerning  any  of  thole  believers 
who  were  baptized  by  the  apoftlcs  ?  The  chil- 
dren of  believers  may  not  ail  be  real  believers, 
for  reafons  which  have  been  given  ;  nor  fhould 
we  expect  that  God  would  give  us  more  infalli- 
ble marks  to  difcern  the  real  character  and  ftate 
.of  infants,  than  of  adults.  But  we  have  reaion 
to  hope  that  the  children  of  believers  are  chofen 
of  God,  and  united  to  Chrift  5  and  this  is  all 

we 


(     48     ) 

we  can  fay  of  profefling  adults  :  The  former 
then  arc  vifible  believers,  as  well  as  the  latter, 
and  muft  be  received  and  treated  as  fuch.  We 
may  therefore  demand  in  the  language  of  an 
apoftle,  Can  any  man  forbid  water,  that  thefejhould 
not  be  baptized,  who  have  received  the  holy  ghojt 
as  well  as  we  ? 

The  argument  for  the  baptifm  of  the  infants 
of  believers,  being  reduced  to  a  fyllogiftic  form, 
runs  thus  :  All  vifible  believers  are  to  be  baptized ; 
hut  the  children  of  believers  are  vifible  believers  \ 
therefore  the  children  cf  believers  are  to  be  bap* 
tized.  The  conclufion  is  inevitable ;  and  the 
force  of  the  argument  cannot  be  evaded  but  by 
denying  one  of  the  premifes,  borh  of  which,  I 
if  jp  pole,  have  already  been  clearly  proved. 

But  perhaps  it  will  be  faid,  as  it  hath  been, 
that  the  right  of  a  perfon  to  baptifm,  depends 
upon  his  actually  making  a  credible  profefiion 
of  his  faith  in  Chrift,  ot  which  infants  are  in- 
capable, and  therefore  have  no  right  to  baptifm. 

I  anfwer,  there  is  not  the  lealt  evidence  in 
the  word  of  God,  that  an  actual  profefiion  is 
required,  as  a  qualification  for  baptifm.  There 
is  indeed  reafon  to  think,  that  thole  adult  per- 
fans  who  were  baptized  in  the  times  of  the 
apoflles,  did  either  explicitly  or  implicitly  pro- 
fcfs  their  faith  in  Chrift,  and  that  might  be  an 
evidence  of  their  right  to  baptifm.  But  it  was 
their  faith  in  Chrift  that  was  the  ground  of  their 
right,  and  the  evidence,  appearance,  or  via- 
bility of  their  faith  that  was  the  ground  of  their 
vifible  right  to  that  ordinance,  and  the  founda- 
tion cf  the  apoflles  conduct  in  baptizing  them. 
And  that  evidence  of  faith  which   gave  vifible 

right 


(     49     ) 

ri^ht  to  baptifm,  was  not  always  manifested  by 
their  profeflion.  It  was  manifefted  to  Peter  in 
Cornelius  and  his  company,  by  the  holy  ghoft 
failing  on  them  •,  and  it  was  manifefted  to  Ana- 
nias in  Saul,  by  immediate  revelation  from  God. 
.Any  kind  of  evidence,  therefore,  which  makes 
it  appear  that  a  pcrfon  is  a  believer,  may  be  a 
fufficient  ground  of  his  vifiblc  right  to  baptifm, 
and  a  Efficient  warrant  for  a  minifter  cf  Chrift 
to  baptize  him.  And  although  infants  ar?  in- 
capable of  fpeaking  for  themfclves,  and  of  ac- 
tually making  a  profefTion  of  their  faith  ;  y  c 
Go _;  gra ciou  ily  f pea  k  s-  for  them  to  t  e  p ro  m :  J  c s 
dficjl  declarations  of  his  word  -9  which  are,  at 
lead,  as  fure  and  folid  a  ground  of  procedure 
in  the  baptifm  of  infants,  a-s  the  judgment  o£ 
fallible  men,  on  an  explicit  profeflion  of  faith, 
can  be  in  the  baptifm  of  adults* 

k  will  probably  be  denied,  that  the  children 
of  believers  are  vifible  belie  ye  rs  ;  becaufe  when 
they  grow  up  to  years  of  maturity  they  gene* 
rally  m  an  i  fell  by  their  vain  and  wicked  life,  that 
they  h-ave  not  the  grace  of  God  dwelling  in 
them. 

1  anfv/er,  that  it  is  no  evidence  that  a  perfon 
was  not  a  vifible  believer  when  baptized,  becaufe 
he  afterwards  apoftatizes  from  the  faith,  and 
becomes  a  vifible  unbeliever.  Simon  th^force- 
j-er  was  iuch  an  one  \  and  all  who  are  admitted 
to  baptifm  in  adult  age,  according  to  the  rules 
of  Chrift,  and  afterwards  become  openly  wicked 
in  their  conduct,  are  inftances  which  manifeft 
the  truth  of  this  oblervation.  If  therefore  the 
children  of  believers,  who,  according  to  what 
has  been  faid,  ought  to  be  reputed  believers,  do 
G  often, 


(     5°     ) 

often,  when  they  grow  up,  mew  a  very  differ- 
ent and  contrary  character,  this  is  no  evidence, 
that  they  were  not  vifible  believers  in  their  in- 
fancy. 

But  it  is  faid  that  children  generally  grow  up 
in  wickedneis  •,  and  that  it  is  very  rare  that  per- 
fons  give  evidence  in  after  life  that  they  were 
regenerated  in  their  infancy. 

I  anfwer,  regeneration  in  infancy,  and  eviden- 
ces of  it  in  after  life,  are  not  perhaps  fo  rare  as 
fome  may  imagine.  But,  be  it  fo,  that  is  no 
proof  that  the  infants  of  believers  are  not  vifi- 
ble  believers.  For  it  is,  in  the  nature  of  things 
poffible,  that  adult  vifible  believers,  may  ge- 
nerally apoftatize,  and  become  vifible  unbe- 
lievers. If  one  may,  an  hundred  or  a  thoufand 
may  •,  at  lead  there  is  no  abfurdity  or  impoffi- 
bility  in  the  fuppofiticn.  And  indeed  there  is 
reafon  to  fear  that  many  adults,  who  call  Chrift 
Lord,  and  vifib'y  belong  to  his  kingdom  here, 
■will  be  excluded  from  it  hereafter. 

Again,  reafons  have  already  been  given,  which 
may  account  for  the  general  apoftacy  of  the 
children,  confidently  with  the  fuppofuion,  that 
the  children  of  believers  are  vifible  believers. 
God's  promifes  have  not  been  attended  to,  be- 
lieved and  trufted  in  by  the  parents.  If  parents- 
believed,  trufted  in  God,  and  did  their  duty,  as 
they  ought,  we  have  reafon  to  conclude,  that 
all  their  children  would  be  the  fubjecls  of  divine 
grace.  Accordingly  when  true  religion,  know- 
ledge, and  faith  flourifh  and  prevail,  as  we  be- 
lieve they  will  in  a  future  day  •,  God  will 
moft  evidently,  and  in  fact,  as  has  been  oblerved, 
appear  to  be  the  God  of  his  people  and  their 

feed  j 


(     5i     ) 

feed  •,  and  the  children  (hall  grow  up  in  the  fear 
of  the  Lord,  and  in  obedience  to  the  faith* 
For,  they  are  the  feed  of  the  bleffed  of  the  Lord 
and  their  offspring  with  them  \  and  they  floall 
fpring  up  as  among  the  grafs,  as  willows  by  the 
'water  ccurfes. 

SECTION     X. 
Serious  reflexions  on   the  whole. 

l.  flT^HE  doclrine  contained  in  the  preceding 
j[  pages,  prefents  us  with  a  very  affi :  cl- 
ing view  of  the  riches  and  abundance  of  divine 
grace.  The  grace  of  God  that  bringeth  falva- 
tion  to  the  chief  of  fmners  through  Jeius  Chrift, 
is  exceeaing  great  and  abundant  ;  and  as  fuch 
is  much  celebrated  in  the  facred  fcriptures.  Buc 
how  is  it  magnified  and  advanced,  when  it  is 
confidered  as  expended  to  the  feed  of  believers, 
as  co-heirs  with  their  parents  to  the  exceeding 
great  and  precious  promiies  contained  in  the 
new  covenant,  which  is  ellablifhed  in  Jefus 
Chrift  the  mediator  !  David  fpeaks  of  the  mercy 
of  God,  manifefted  in  promifing  blefiings  to  his 
houfe,  as  that  with  which  he  was  more  afFtcled 
than  with  the  mercy  that  terminated  in  himfelf. 
(i  Sam.  vii.  19.)  And  this  was  yet  a  fmall  thing 
in  thy  fight*  0  Lord  God  :  But  thou  haft  fpokert 
alfo  of  thy  fervent' s  houje  for  a  great  while  to 
fame.  And  all  the  people  of  God  have  like 
reafon  to  admire  and  rejoice  in  his  extenfive 
grace,  exprtficd  in  the  promifes  of  new  cove- 
nant bleiiings  to  their  offspring.  How  dear  to 
us  are  our   children  in    the   bonds   of  nature  ! 

How 


(     5*     ) 

How  tender  are  our  feelings  towards  them  $ 
And  how  defirons  mult  every  godly  parent  be 
of  their  fpiritual  and  eternal  good  !  How  corr- 
fortable  therefore  and  foul-ref?efhin£  to  iuch 
an  one,  to  hear  the  voice  of  God  fpeaking  in 
his  promife,  and  faying,  1  will  be  a  God  U  thee 
and  to  thy  feed  I  And  under  the  influence  of 
thefe  views,  how  would  .his  mouth  be  opened 
and  his  heart  enlarged  to  praiie  God  for  the 
riches  and  amplitude  of  his  grace  !  Say  ye,  who 
know  the  tender  and  heart-felt  concern  of  a  pi- 
ous parent,  how  often  have  you  viewed  your 
Tiling  effspring,  and  in  the  midft  of  their  inno- 
cent and  childifh  recreations,  had  your  fouls, 
"with  glowing  affeelion,  yearning  bowels,  and 
weeping  eyes,  (uddenly  and  irrefiftably  drawn 
forth  in  earned  prayer  to  God  for  their  eternal 
ialvation  -,  or  breathing  out  an  ejaculation  like 
Abraham  of  old,  O  that  thefe  my  children  might 
live  before  thee !  And  could  you  then  lay  hold 
on  God's  covenant,  and  plead  thofe  promii'es 
which  pronounce  the  beft  of  bleffings  to  you 
and  your  children  \  how  glorious  and  abundant 
would  divine  grace  appear  !  And  hew  forcibly 
would  it  demand  your  warmeft  gratitude  and 
your  higheft  praife  1 

If  God  tad  given  no  intimations  in  his  word 
of  his  gracious  purpofes  towards  the  feed  of  the 
righteous,  it  would  become  us  indeed  to  acqui- 
cfee  in  his  holy  fovereignty,  and  acknowledge 
his  right  to  difpofe  of  them  \  even  as  the  potter 
hath  power  over  the  clay.  But  iince  children 
are  included  with  their  believing  parents  in  the 
merciful  declarations  of  God's  word,  we  ought 
iq  rejoice  and  give  glory  to   him  :  For  nothing 

can 


(    53     ) 

xan  be  more  delightful,  than  fuch  an  employ- 
ment, or  more  honourable  to  his  free,  fovcreign, 
and  abundant  grace. 

2.  This  doctrine  tends  to  enforce  the  obli- 
gations, and  increale  the  motives  and  encou- 
ragements of  parents,  to  truft  m  God's  cove- 
nant as  it  refpccts  their  children,  and  train  them 
up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 

It  is  the  duty  of  chriftians  to  have  a  particu- 
lar regard  to  the  religious  inftrufrion  and  edu- 
cation of  their  children.  God  has  commanded 
it  in  his  word,  and  we  are  bound  to  obey. 
Every  word  of  God  lays  a  great  obligation  upon 
us  -,  and  our  obligations  are  greatly  increafed 
by  every  manifeilation  of  his  truth  and  grace. 
If  God  has  promifed  to  be  a  God  to  believers 
and  their  iced,  we  are  bound  to  believe  this 
promife,  and  truft  in  him  for  the  performance. 
He  that  believeth  not,  makcih  Gcda  liar.  If  God 
has  magnified  his  grace  in  this  promife,  cur  ob- 
ligations are  peculiarly  ftrong  both  to  believe 
what  he  hath  fpcken,  and  to  do  what  he  hath 
commanded.  It  would  be  ingratitude  in  an  ag- 
gravated degree,  not  to  lay  hold  on  the  cove* 
nant,  embrace  the  promiied  bleffing  for  our 
children,  and  train  them  up  in  the  <&ay  they  Jhould 
go.  We  are  to  confider  our  offspring  as  God's 
chofen  ones  ;  they  are  his  children  put  under 
our  care  to  be  educated  for  hisfervice  and  glory. 
How  ungrateful  and  wicked  for  us  to  be  negli- 
gent in  the  difcharge  of  this  important  truiU 
How  great  and  ftrong  are  the  motives  to  be 
faithful  from  the  profpect  of  promoting  the 
kingdom  of  God,  and  the  eternal  falvation  of 
our  children  !  If  we  believed   God's    gracious 

declarations, 


C     54     ) 

declarations,  how  would  fuch  a  faith  encourage 
us  to  teach  our  children  the  fear  or  the  Lord, 
fince  we  might  be  perfwadcd,  on  good  grounds, 
that  they  would  net  depart  from  it  !  If  we  had 
far  lefs  reafon  than  we  have  to  expect  that  our 
care  and  diligence  in  educating  our  children 
would  be  bld'fed  for  their  eternal  good,  it  would 
be  our  indifpenfable  duty  to  be  unwearied  in 
teaching  them  the  way  of  truth.  But  how 
much  greater  are  our  obligations  and  motives, 
fince  we  have  the  promife  of  God  for  our  en- 
couragement that  they  mall  be  the  ktd  of  the 
blelfed  of  the  Lord  !  If  children  have  fuch  an 
intereft  in  the  promifes  as  has  been  fuppoied  ; 
then,  in  a  very  important  fenfe,  they  belong  to 
the  Lord,  and  to  him  they  mould  be  devoted 
by  their  parents.  For  God  is  not  amamed  to 
be  called  their  God.  He  is  not  called  fo  in  vain  ; 
for  he  has  promifed  blellings  for  them  worthy 
of  a  God  to  beftow.  If  believing  parents  de- 
fire  to  bring  their  children  to  (Thrift  for  his 
bleffing,  here  is  a  firm  foundation  on  which  they 
may  proceed  :  For  the  promife  is  to  them  and 
to  their  children,  and  of  fuch  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  It  io  much  depends  upon  the  faith  of 
the  parents,  as  has  been  reprefented^  how  mould 
this  induce  us  to  act  fuch  a  faith  in  God's  pro- 
miles  as  will  enfure  the  bieiTing,  and  effectually 
engage  us  to  bring  up  our  children  in  the  nur- 
ture and  admonition  of  the  Lord,  led  their  dear 
precious  fouls  mould  perilh  eternally  through 
cur  neglect.  A  foiemn  confederation  this,  to 
all  parents  !  God  grant  that  it  may  have  its 
proper  effect  on  our  hearts  and  cur  conduct ! 

3.  this 


(    55    )   .. 

g.  This  doctrine  affords  an  awful  confideration 
to  ungodly  parents  :  For  they  have  no  right  to 
the  promifes  for  ihemfelves  or  their  children. 
On  the  contrary,  the  promifes  which  hare  been 
confidered,  areoppofed  to  threatenings  of  awful 
judgments  upon  the  wicked  and  their  feed.  For 
the  Lord  thy  God  is  a  jealous  God,  vifiiing  the  in- 
iquities of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,  unto  the 
third  and  fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate  me. 
It  is  a  dreadful  confideration  for  the  wicked  that 
they  are  going  the  broad  way  to  everlafting  de- 
ftruction  themfelves  •,  and  much  more  fo  fmce 
they  have  reafon  to  fear  that  they  (hall  entail,  by 
their  wickednefs,  curfes  inftead  of  biefings  upon 
their  feed.  It  is  true  God  may,  and  often  does, 
in  his  own  fovereign  way,  grant  the  bleffingsof 
his  grace  to  the  children  of  the  wicked.  Ocher- 
wife  the  wicked  world,  to  thet  lateft  pofterity, 
would  be  in  a  hopelefs  fituation.  But  the  wicked 
and  unbelieving  have  not  the  fame  reafon  to  ex- 
pect God's  blefiing  upon  their  children,  as  the 
righteous,  to  whom  the  promifes  are  made. 
Let  wicked  parents  therefore  tremble,  left,  by 
their  unbelief,  they  are  the  occafion  of  their  own 
and  their  children*  everlafting  deftruttion. 


APPENDIX, 


APPENDIX, 

Containing  fome   general   obfervations  on    the 
difcipline  of  baptized  children. 

THE  difcipline  of  baptized  children  has 
always  been  infilled  on  by  the  advocates 
for  infant  baptifm,  as  a  necefiary  confequence 
of  that  doctrine,  and  a  privilege  belonging  to 
thoie  who  have  been  devoted  to  God  in  that  or- 
dinance-, but  the  practice  of  foch  difcipline  has, 
for  a  long  time,  been  generally  neglected  in 
the  churches.  If  there  be  no  foundation  in  the 
word  of  God  for  the  baptiftrv  of  infants,  then 
all  who  do  not  make  a  perfonal  and  explicit 
profeffion  of  their  fakh  are  to  be  confidered  as 
yifibly  belonging  to  the  kingdom  of  Satan,  the 
fpirit  that  worketh  in  the  children  of  difobedi- 
ence,  and  are  therefore  in  no  refpect  fubjc&s  of 
church  difcipline* 

But,  if  children  are  to  be  baptized  as  belong- 
ing vifibly  to  the  kingdom  of  God,  it  undenia- 
bly follows,  that  they  muft  be  fubjecl  to  the 
laws  of  that  kingdom,  and  that  they  ought  to 
be  disciplined  according  to  the  rules  of  ChritVs 
houfe. 

That  in  the  primitive  churches  children  were 
members,  appears  from  the  directions  given 
them  by  the  apollle  in  his  cpiftles  to  fome  of 
thole  churches  ;  particularly,  when  writing  to 
the  Ephefians  he  fays,  Children  obey  your  parents 
in  the  Lord,  for  this  is  right.  For  if  children 
did  not  belong  vifibly  to  the  church,  which  was 
builded  together  at  Ephefuf,  for  an  habitation  of 

Cod 


(     57    ) 

God  through  thefpirit,  there  would  be  a  manifefl: 
impropriety  in  giving  fuch  a  direction,  in  an 
epiftle,  which  was  exprefsly  written  to  the  faints 
at  Ephefus,  and  to  the  faithful  in  Chriji  Jefus. 
And  that  thofe  children  were  not  adults,  is  clear 
from  the  direction  given  to  their  parents,  to 
bring  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of 
the  Lord. 

The  constitution  of  the  Jewifti  church  was 
very  different  in  many  refpects,  from  that  of 
chriftian  churches  :  yet  its  general  nature  was 
the  fame.  It  had  rules  of  difcipline  :  It  com- 
prehended parents  and  their  children  ;  and  the 
latter,  according  to  their  capacity,  were  as  pro- 
perly fubjects  of  difcipline  as  the  former.  A  re- 
markable inftanceof  this  is  in  the  law  concern- 
ing a  ftubborn  and  rebellious  fon.  (Deut.  xxi. 
19.)  This  law,  as  to  the  letter  of  it,  is  not 
binding  upon  us-,  but  it  fhews  that  children  were 
fubject  to  the  JevviPn  difcipline  :  And  there  is 
as  much  reafon  that  they  mould  be  fubject  to 
chriftian  difcipline  under  the  gofpel. 

Children  are  not  capable  of  acting,  or  of  be- 
ing treated  in  all  refpects  like  thofe  of  adult 
a°e  ;  therefore,  when  they  are  confidered  as 
fubjects  of  church  difcipline,  regard  muft  be 
had  to  their  age,  capacity,  and  circumftances, 
as  in  other  cafes. 

As  a  vifible  church  of  Chrift  is  a  fociety,  it 
partakes  of  the  general  nature  of  other  human 
focienes  •,  and,  though  in  many  refpects,  there 
may  be  a  great  difference,  yet  the  difcipline  of 
the  one  may  be  illuftrated  by  the  other. 

A  human  fociety,  for  inftance,  a  particular 
civil  ftate,  like  a  vifible  chriftian  church,  con- 

H  fills 


(     58     ) 

fills  of  parents  and  children,  adults  and  infants,- 
The  members  of  the  ftate  are  all  fuppofed  to 
be  friendly  to  the  intefefts  of  the   community  f 
and  oppofed  to   its  enemies.     The  adults  may 
manifeft   their    friendfhip  and   fidelity    to  the 
Hate,  by  a  public  perfonal  profefuon,  or  an  oath 
of  allegiance,    and    a   correfpondent  conduct  ; 
but  the  infants  cannot,  but  are  eonfidered   as 
friends  or  gocd  fubjects,  according  to  the  pro* 
fefiion  or  character  of  their  parents.     So  it   is 
in   a  christian  church  ;  its  member's  are   to  be 
eonfidered   as  friendly  to  the  caufe    of  Chfift, 
their  head  and  their  king-,  and    oppofed   to  his 
enemies.     This  app-ars  in  adults  by  their  pro- 
feiTion  and  correfpondent  practice;  but  the  in- 
fant's   character   is   determined,  at  prefent,  by 
that  of  his  parent.     The  children  of  the  flats 
are  fubject  to  its  laws,  and  enjoy  thofe  privileges, 
of  -which  they  are  capable  while  they  gradually 
grow  up  to  maturity  ;  but  not  as  adults :  The 
former  are   fubject  to  parents,  tutors,   or  go- 
vernors, who  in  a  certain  ferffe   and  degree  act 
for  them,  and  are  anfwerable  for  their  conduct : 
The  latter  act  for  themfelves,  and  are  account- 
able for  their  own  behaviour.     So  the  children 
of  the  church  are  fubject  to  their   parents,  and 
to  be  trained  up  by  them  in  the  nurture  and  ad- 
monition of  the  Lord ;  the  parents   being  under 
the  care  and  direction  of  the  church,  with    ref- 
pect  to  their  duty  in  educating  their  children. 
When  the  children  of  the  flare  arrive  to  a  cer- 
tain age,  they  are  required  to  do  all  the  duties, 
and  are  admitted  to  all  the   privileges    of  adult 
members  •,  if  they  give  the  evidence   which  is 
expected  in  adults,  of  their  friendship    or  alle- 
giance 


(     £9    ) 

glance  to  the  (late.  So  the  children  cf  the  church 
are  to  be  admitted  to  all  ordinances  and  privi- 
leges, when  they  can  attend  on  them  understand- 
ft  and  give  the  evidence  i-equired  in  adults, 
of  their  fiacere  attachment  to  the  caufe  of 
ax.  And  they  are  to  be  called  upon  and 
required  to  do  all  the  duties  which  are  incum- 
bent on  the  followers  of  Chri'ti. 

In  civil  communities  the  age  of  maturity  has 
been  generally  fixed  and  ascertained  -y  but  it  may 
be   difficult   to  determine  on  a  particular  age, 
when  the  children  of  the  church  are  to  be  con- 
sidered and  treated  as  adults.     As  the  fcripture 
feems  to  be  fil.ent  In  this  cafe,  perhaps  churches 
may  and  ought  to  judge  of  the  matter,  as  they 
rnuit  in  fome  other  cafes,  according  to   the  ca- 
pacity v,nd  improvement  of  children,  which  will 
;ry  vari 
When  baptised  perfons  come  to  adult  age,and 
have  beer,    properly  and   furHciently   inftrucled 
and  admonifhed  by  the  church,  and  obftinately 
refufe  to  com  h  their  duty,  and  to  walk  as 

becometh  the  followers  of  Chritt,  they  rnuft  be 
rejected,  or  cutoff  as  other  obftinate  offenders. 
The  cafe  of  baptized  perfons  in  adult  age,   who 
do  not  attend  on  ordinances  according  to    the 
commandment  of  Chrift,  is   in  all  refpects   the 
fame  as  to  difcipline,  with  that  of  thofe    who 
have  formerly- attended,  but  now  withdraw.     If 
the  latter  are  to  be  inftrufted  and  admonilhed3 
fo  are  the  former  •,  and  when  excommunication 
is  requifite in  the  one  cafe,  it   is    in  the  ether. 
Withdrawing  from  the  Lord's  table,  or  abff 
ing  from  communion,  is  to  be  tolerated  in  r  • 
churches  only  when  it  arifes  from  (uch  fcruplfs 

as, 


(     So    ) 

as,  through  the  weaknefs  of  faith  or  knowledge, 
may  be  thought  to  confift  with  fome  evidence  of 
a  ft  ate  of  grace. 

But  it  will  be  a  query  with  fome,  whether 
thofe  adult  baptized  perfons,  who  are  confidered 
as  members  of  the  church,  and  fubjecls  of  difci- 
pline,  and  who  mud  be  required  to  do  all  du- 
ties, and  attend  on  all  ordinances,  as  becometh 
chriftians,  may  be  admitted  to  baptifm  for  their 
children,  and  to  the  Lord's  fupper  whenever  they 
defire  it  ? 

I  anfwer,  agreeably  to  what  was  before  ob- 
ierved,  undoubtedly  they  mult  be  admitted  to 
all  the  ordinances  which  Chrift  has  appointed 
in  his  church,  in  the  fame  manner,  and  on  the 
fame  terms,  with  other  members.  But  this  doth 
not  iuppofe  that  they  may  come  to  baptifm,  or 
the  Lord's  fupper,  without  a  profeffion  of  real 
religion  ;  for  no  members  are  allowed  to  come 
fo :  but  iuch  a  profeffion,  if  not  exprefTed  in 
words,  is  actually  made  or  renewed  whenever 
they  attend  upon  thofe  ordinances.  Nor  dcth 
this  impl)  that  any  have  a  right,  in  the  fight  of 
God  to  covenant  or  make  a  profeflion  without 
true  grace  ;  for  none  can  do  this  without  grofs 
hypocrify  :  Nor  can  any  baptifed  perfons  be  ad- 
mitted to  baptifm  for  their  children,  unlefs  their 
conduct  agrees  with  their  profefTion  ;  for  in  this 
cafe  they,  and  other  members,  are  to  be  excom- 
municated. 

From  thefe  obfervations  it  will  appear,  that 
we  need  not  wonder,  as  fome  have  done,  that 
there  are  no  more  explicit  directions  in  the  word 
of  God,  refpecling  the  conducl:  of  churches 
towards  their  baptifed  children,     For  they  are 

to 


c  Sf  ) 

to  be  treated  as  other  members  of  the  church,  in 
every  refpect,  excepr  when  they  are  fo  young  a? 
to  be  incapable  of  public  difcipjine  ;  and  then 
the  direction  to  phriftian  parents  is  explicit 
enough  to  bring  up  their  children  in  the  nurture 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 

The  practice  of  churches,  according  to  the 
preceding  obfervations,  would  be  natural  and 
eafy  enough,  had  it  always  been  obierved  ;  but 
as  the  difcipline*  of  baptiied  perlbns  has  been 
long  neglected  in  the  chutches,  and  children 
have  grown  up  without  confidering  themfelves, 
or  being  confidered  and  treated  bv  the  churches, 
as  proper  members  and  fubjects  of  difcipline,  a 
reformation  would  ordinarily  be  actended  with 
much  difficulty.  The  want  of  light  in  the 
churches  is  one  impediment ;  but  the  want  of 
love  and  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God,  is  a  greater. 
Without  divine  influences,  all  means  and  at- 
tempts will  be  ineffectual.  But  we  ought  to  be 
diligent  and  ftrenuous  in  our  exertions,  while  we 
pray  earneftly  for  the  effufion  of  a  fpirit  of  g'ace 
upon  the  churches,  that  they  may  be  reformed 
in  the  practice  of  difcipline,  and  fo  become  ter- 
rible as  an  army  with  banners. 


x^> 


VS 


POSTSCRIPT. 


?' 


POSTSCRIPT. 

TH  E    doctrine  advanced  in  the  preceding 
pages  will,  perhaps,  appear  new;  and,  on 
that   account,    be  condemned  and  rejected   by 
forne  -,  yet,  I  trufta  there  are  not  many,    at  this 
time  of  day,  that  will  be  willing  to  acknowledge 
that  they  are  greatly  influenced  by  fuch  a  mean 
and  irrational  prejudice  as   this  y  but,   perhaps, 
there  may  be  fome ;  and  others  probably  are 
fwayed  by  the  authority  of  great  and  good  men 
more  than  they  imagine.     Some  fuch  confider- 
ations,   together  with  the  define  of  friends,  have 
induced  me  to  lubjoin  a  few  quotations  to  ihew 
that  the  leading  fentiment  of  this  pamphlet  is 
not  without  its  vouchers  among  die  great  and 
the  good  :  But  at  the  fame  time  I  think,   and 
would  have   my    readers  think,    that    a    vo- 
lume of  fuch  extracts  would  not  have  the  leaft 
weight,  as  an  argument  in  favour  of  the  doc- 
trine.  To  the  law  and  to  the  tefiimony  -,  if  what  has 
been  advanced  will  not  (land  that  ted,  let  it  fall 
to  the  ground,    though  it  may  be  countenanced 
by  the  authority  of  ever  fo  many  great  and  ve- 
nerable names. 

The  fjrft  tefiimony  I  fnall  produce  is  from 
the  celebrated  Dr.  Van  Mafiricht,  who  lived 
in  the  lad  century,  and  was  fucceffively  profef- 
for  of  divinity  in  the  uniy^fiues  of  Francfort* 
Duijburgi  and  Utrecht,  fie  wrote  a  fyllem  of 
divinity,  imitled,  Thsclogia  Theoretico  Praftica* 
which  has  always  been  greatly  efleemed  by  Cal- 
viniftic  divines,  as  an  accurate,  learned,  and 
orthodox  work  ;  and  which  Dr.  Cotton  Ma- 
ther 


(    63     ) 

ther  recommends  in  the  ftrcngeft  terms,  declar- 
ing that  he  knows  not  thai  the  fun  has  ever 
fhone  on  a  human  compofure  «qua1  to  it.  In 
this  celebrated  work  we  find  the  author  fpeak- 
ing  of  infant  baptifm  in  the  following  manner: 
€  The  reformed  affirm,  that  the  infants  of  be- 
6  lievers  are,  by  all   means,   to  be  baptized  ac- 

*  cording  to  the  inftitutlon  of  Qhiift.  i.  Be- 
6  caufe  they  are  included  in  the  promife  of.  the 

*  covenant   of  grace,  and   to    fuch  baptifm  is 

*  propofed.    (Ac~h  ii.  38,39.)     2.  Bccaufe  they 

*  are  partakers  of  the  benefits  of  the  covenant 
6  of  grace,  viz.  Regeneration  and  remifTion  of 
6  fins,  (Jer,  xxxi.  33,  34.)  3.  Becaufe  they 
6  are  members  of  the  rnyftical  body  of  Chrift  ; 
6  otherwife  they  would  be  without  Chrift,  with- 
6  out  God,  without  hope  of  falvation  •,  (Eph,  ii. 
6  11,    12,  13.)  therefore  they  ought  to  enjoy 

*  the  feal  of  ingrafting.'  (1  Cor.  12,  13.  Rom. 
vi.  3,  4.)  And  again,  6.  c  Becaufe  they  are 
'  partakers  of  the  Holy  Ghofl,  (1  Cor.  vii.  14.) 
c  as  appears  in  Jeremiah  (Jer.  i.  5.)  and  in  John 

5  the  Baptift ;  {Luke  i.  15.)  and  Peter  exprefs- 

6  ly  teaches  that  fuch  ihould  be  baptized.  (Ads 

*  x.  44.)     7.  Becauie  the  children  of  believers 

*  are  born  to  God,  (Ezek.  xvi    20.)  and  there- 

*  fore  are  federally  holy  to  God.  (2  Cor.  7.  14. 

*  Compare  Ifa.  xlix.,22.) 

*  They  object,  that  fince  baptifm  is  a  feal  of 
c  the  covenant  of  grace,  it  requires  faith -as  a 
6  qualification.  Anfwer.  It  is  granted  that 
6  actual  faith  is  requifite  in  adults  ;  but  in  in- 
'  fants  the  principle  of  faith  is  fufncitnt  :  nor  is 
4  actual  faith  more  requifite  for  baptifm  ihan 
4  for  circumcifion.' 

In. 


(     64    ^ 

In  another  place  ^  fcys,  ^c  The  common 
opiniQn  of-  ch^  m'ormed  is,  .hat  the  baptifm  of 
infants  (at  lea/c  of  h  ;  :-d)  preui.ppofes  rege- 
neration 2i  already  wrought;  becaufe  thac 
which  ]fi  not  cannot  be  fealed  by  baptiim. 
And  this  opinion  appears  to  me  moll  agreea- 
ble to  truth. ' 

Another  testimony  may  be  taken  from  Dr. 
Witfius,a  noted  Dutch  divine,  profeflbr  of  divi- 
nity in  the  univerfities  ofFrancker,  Uxrecht,and 
Leyden,  and  alio  regent  of  the  divinity  college 
of  the  Hates  of  Holland  and  VVeit-FrieQand.  In 
his  (Economy  of  rhe  Covenants,  as  translated  by 
Dr.  Crookihank,  he  writes  thus  :  '  It  is  unjutlifi- 
6  able  to  exclude  from  baptifmH^fe  who  are 
4  made   partakers  of  the  holy  fpirit;  for  thus 

*  Peter  (Ads  x.  47)  Can  any  man  forbid  water, 
«  &c.  We  moreover  conclude;  even  the  chil- 
«  dren  of  believers  have  received  the  -holy  fpirit. 
«  For,  otherwife,  they  could  neither  be  holy, 
c  which  yet  Paul  declares  them  to  be,  (1  Cor. 
«  vii.  14,)  nor  be  Gh  rift's,  to  whom  none  belong 
6  who  have  not  his  fpirit;  (Rom.  viii.  9.)  nor  fee 

*  the  kingdom  of  Heaven,  to  which  hone  is  ad- 
;  mitted,  but  he  who  is  born  of  water  and  the 
'  fpirit.  John  iii.  5.  Whence  it  follows,  that 
c  water  cannot  be  forbid,  that  infants  mould  not 
c  be  baptized.'       Book  iv.  Chap.  xvj.  S.  44. 

I  mall  only  add  o-,e  teftimony  more,  -which  is  from  the  cele- 
brated Dr.  Watts,  who  writes  thus  concerning  the  infants  of 
believers  :  '  In  my  opinion,  fo  far  as  they  are  any  way  members 
4  of  the  vifible  chriftian  church,  it  is  fcpor:  fuppofition  of  their 

*  being,  with  their  parents,  members  of  the  mvihbie  church 
'  of  God.' 

Thefe  extracts  are  futficient  to  mew  that  the  covenant-iutereft 
of  the  children  of  be'  evers  has  been  explained  by  writers  of 
great  reputation  in  the  chriftian  world,  according  to  fentiinents 
exprefied  in  this  pamphlet. 


